The Fire Inside
by Jenna822
Summary: Aʙᴀɴᴅᴏɴᴇᴅ *Modern AU - Novel* When Sokka and Katara start a new school, they will learn that you shouldn't always trust a first impression. There is always more to a person than their smiles, tattoos or scars. *Sokka/Zuko and Katara/Haru*
1. Good Morning, Omashu

**Chapter 1: Good Morning, Omashu**

**.**

"_Good morning, Omashu! This is the Blind Bandit with your wake up call. It's six thirty in the A. M. on this chilly Monday morning, so only an hour to get yourselves to school. On your feet, twinkle toes, don't wanna be late. I feel sorry for anyone walking today, most of the snow is gonna melt off by lunch, leaving a nice mixture of slush and mud for that trip back home. Good luck. On a brighter note, today is my favorite day of the year. That's because we now have three hundred and sixty four days until we have to bear through another Valentine's Day. Happy February fifteenth everyone! Time to do a little bill paying around here. The Blind Bandit show is brought to you by Gaoling Sports Drinks. When you can't drag yourself another step, reach for one of their seven exciting flavors. Gaoling Sports Drinks, proud sponsors of K teen, the only radio station for teens, hosted by teens. Now, let's play some music to kick your butts into gear."_

A hand shot out from underneath a heavy, white comforter and fumbled with the volume knob on the stereo as music began to pound out of the speakers. The volume rose, much louder than was necessary. The comforter shifted again to reveal a very disheveled, thin boy spread out on a small bed. The boy raised his hand to his bed-mussed, dark brown hair. He dragged his fingers through it roughly, pulling it away from his icy blue eyes. He let out a loud yawn and stretched his back as he sat up, twisting awkwardly, before dropping his hands to his lap and letting out a groan.

The boy climbed out of bed and stumbled his way sleepily down the hall towards the bathroom for a shower. The hot water was exactly what he needed to wake up and get moving. Within fifteen minutes, he had showered, brushed his teeth and was standing in front of the mirror in his boxers, starting to dry his hair. A loud pounding on the door made him shut off the hair dryer and scowl.

"Sokka, are you almost finished in there?" a girl's voice came through the door. "I need a shower too."

Sokka rolled his eyes and turned the hair dryer back on, smiling at the sound of a groan that could be heard over it. He finished styling his hair, straight down, short in the back and angled towards his face, reaching his chin at the very tips. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror and ran his tongue over his bottom lip, flicking at the thin silver ring that wrapped around it on the left side. That was his newest piercing and so far, it was proving to be his favorite.

His left eyebrow held an identical silver hoop and both of his ears held thick black studs. He smirked as he recalled the look on his sister's face when he first came home with his ears pierced. It was nowhere near as funny as the two hour lecture he had gotten over the tattoo. He held out his right arm, flipped it to reveal the underside and grazed his fingertips over the bright red and orange flame which contrasted nicely against his tanned skin.

Another loud knock on the door pulled Sokka out of his trance. He flung open the door and pushed past his sister without a glance in her direction. "There, Katara, it's all yours," he spat, annoyed at her impatience. He walked back into the bedroom and glared at his now-silent stereo. His eyes wandered around the still unfamiliar room.

Two twin-sized beds sat against opposite walls of the room. A large screen room divider cut through the room, separating the areas, though it gave the impression of separating two different worlds. On one half of the room, the bed held a shiny, satin, pink comforter and was tidy, almost military style with its make up. The walls around the bed were covered in cut-out daisies, colored in purples, pinks and yellows. The night stand was neat and the desk was pristine, holding a large poster of a kitten above it.

On the right side of the room, the small bed held a white comforter, still half tossed onto the floor from when Sokka climbed out of bed. His night stand was just a clock sitting atop his large stereo with the speakers lined up beside it. The walls were bare since everything he would be putting up still sat in a taped box on his desk. The box set along side several empty pretzel bags and a scatter of skateboard magazines.

Sokka crossed the room and flicked his stereo back on, smiling as the music came blasting out. "This Blind Bandit chick has got good taste," he mused to himself as he rifled through an open box on the floor at the foot of his bed. He pulled out a pair of faded, baggy, black jeans and stepped into them, then secured them with a thin, white corded belt. He groaned at the closet before pulling open the door. Katara's clothes filled almost the entire thing, leaving his shirts crammed against the wall of it.

He pulled free a bright red, fitted tee-shirt with an anti-smoking slogan on it and pulled it on. His stomach quickly made itself known and he hurried into his socks and black shoes. Leaving the stereo on, Sokka dashed into the kitchen and pulled open the pantry door. As he was about to grab a box of cereal, a hand fell onto his shoulder, making him cry out and spin around.

"You scared me, Gran Gran," he said, a small laugh escaping with his words.

An overweight, heavily wrinkled woman with snow white hair, pulled into a loose bun, stood in front of Sokka with a sneaky grin on her face. "I didn't mean to scare you, hun," she said, sweetly. "If you wait a few minutes, I'll make you some pancakes." She reached past the now excited boy and pulled the bag of pancake flour from the pantry.

"Sweet," Sokka said, bouncing in place. He snagged a granola bar from the shelf and closed the pantry. "What?" he asked, innocently, when his Gran Gran gave him a questioning look. "It's for the wait. To tide me over. I'm a growing boy." He laughed again and gave the old woman a tight hug.

"Yeah, you keep eating that way and you're going to start growing out," Gran Gran said, poking Sokka in his stomach.

Sokka laughed again as he sat down at the table and unwrapped the granola bar. "Nah, I won't. I'm not one of those couch potato, video game kids. I get enough exercise." He crammed the bar into his mouth and got up to fix a glass of juice.

"I know you aren't," Gran Gran answered, focusing on her cooking.

"Know you aren't what?" Katara asked as she stepped into the kitchen. She rushed over to the old woman and gave her a quick hug. "Morning, Gran Gran."

"None of your business," Sokka spat, closing the refrigerator.

Katara folded her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing at Sokka. Katara's eyes held the same blue as her brother's, but where his were shiny and clear, hers held a dull, cloudy appearance. Both kids had the same soft features, resembling their mother, and their father's dark brown hair. Katara wore her hair long and pulled into a low ponytail with two shorter strands hanging down to frame her face. Katara was shorter than Sokka, which was to be expected with their two year age difference, and a bit thinner. She did, however, have their mother's wide hip set that Sokka was thankful he didn't get. Her skin was tanned, same as his.

"Don't look at me like that," Sokka whined, putting his half drained glass of orange juice on the table in front of him. "It isn't your business what we talk about." He sat down and kicked back on two legs of his chair, smirking.

"Don't lean back in your chair, you could fall," Katara said, pointedly, as she joined her brother at the table.

"Thanks, mom," Sokka said with an eye roll as he sat his chair back on all four legs.

The inevitable fight was, luckily, cut to a stop by a large plate, overflowing with pancakes. Gran Gran put several bottles of flavored syrup onto the table and handed both kids a plate. Sokka quickly snagged four large pancakes and tore them into bite sized pieces, making a pile in the middle of his plate, which was soon covered in a heavy drizzle of strawberry and blueberry syrup. Katara grimaced at her brother as she neatly arranged two pancakes on her plate and drenched them in the same syrup combination.

"Is that what you're wearing to school?" Katara asked as she neared the end of her breakfast.

Sokka scowled and began to tear apart another two pancakes. "Better than what you're wearing," he laughed.

"I look great!" Katara cried out, looking down at her button up, light blue blouse and knee-length, white, pleated skirt. "At least I don't look like a pin cushion," she spat, tapping her manicured nails on the table. Unlike her pierced brother, Katara did not condone putting holes into her body, even her ears were bare of jewelry.

"Stop!" Gran Gran cried out, smacking her hand on the table. "Can't you two not go at it, for one day?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"Sorry, Gran Gran, I just think that Sokka should find something more suitable to wear. This is our first day at a new school and I don't wanna be embarrassed." Katara put down her fork and leaned towards her brother. "I just think that this is a great chance for you to start over. No one here knows you. You have an opportunity to start fresh, be a whole new person."

"I don't want to be a _new_ person, Katara. I like the person that I am." Sokka shook his head and put his eyes on his plate. "The only thing I find embarrassing is having an intolerant sister like you," he muttered, under his breath.

Katara pushed away from the table, noisily, and headed back down the hallway towards their bedroom. Sokka and Gran Gran both flinched as the door slammed, echoing loudly through the tiny apartment. Sokka put his fork down and let out an annoyed sigh.

"There is nothing wrong with the person you are," Gran Gran said, kindly, reaching over and squeezing the boy's shoulder. "If your mother were still around, she would be quite proud of the young man you turned out to be."

Sokka smiled over at the old woman and threw himself into a tight hug with her. He stood up and picked up his plate, shoveling the last bits of soggy pancake into his mouth as he carried it to the sink. He dropped the plate in and returned to the table to grab Katara's. His hand was smacked sharply and Gran Gran shook her head.

"Katara, get back in here and clear your place," she called out loudly.

Sokka grinned and snagged the last pancake from the center platter. He shoved it into his mouth as he passed Katara in the hallway, hiding a smug grin. Katara scoffed at her brother's display as she headed back into the kitchen. She rolled her eyes as the music from Sokka's stereo once again filled the apartment.

"You're just going to let him play that crud all loud like that? What about your neighbors?" Katara asked, her tone full of disapproval.

Gran Gran waved her hand uncaring. "Most of the old goats around here are flat deaf anyway. They don't care. You've been here almost a week, if someone had a complaint, we'd know it. Trust me," she added with a laugh.

Katara picked up her plate and raked the uneaten pancakes into the sink, then ran some water on them as she flicked on the disposal.

"You shouldn't be so down on your brother, he's a good kid," Gran Gran said as the disposal was flipped off. "I know that you two don't have a lot in common, but that doesn't mean you can't get along."

"If you ask me, we have too much in common," Katara said, pursing her lips. At her grandmother's frown, she cut her eyes away. "Is it so wrong to want a normal brother? Other girls have to worry about their brothers making a move on their friends. I have to worry about mine making a move on my boyfriends."

"You aren't still whining about Sanook, are you?" Sokka asked, stepping back into the kitchen. "Honestly, Katara, I've told you a thousand times, the jerk came on to me. I did not hit on your damn boyfriend." He tightened his jaw and looked towards the door. "Are you coming?"

Katara stayed silent as her and Sokka grabbed their bags and hugged their grandmother goodbye. The Crescent Island apartments, where Sokka and Katara now called home, were only four blocks from Omashu High School, so they were walking. As the two, still not speaking, teens neared the front of the brick-faced school with herds of students running around on the lawn, Sokka grabbed his sister's arm and pulled her to a stop.

"Wait...your necklace," Sokka said, quietly. He reached up and retied the loosening blue ribbon around Katara's neck, which held a small, round, silver pendant.

Katara mindlessly touched the pendant and looked at the ground. "Thanks."

"I didn't do it for you. It was mom's, and I don't want you losing it." Sokka stepped around his sister and into the school.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Hey Hey, everyone. Let me know what you think of this first chapter. Will you be subscribing? I certainly hope so. Many things to come. Sokka and Katara are off to their first day of school where they are going to be meeting up with some familiar faces from the series. We get to see Suki, Jet, Haru and even Jin. Keep following by clicking that "alert" button and don't forget to leave me some opinions. Love it or hate it? I wanna know. :D -Jenna**

**Now Beta'd by Endless Eclipse. **


	2. One Battle at a Time

**Chapter 2: One Battle at a Time**

**.**

The cramped front office of Omashu High School was covered in bright posters of emerald and gold, all bearing various slogans supporting the school's sports teams. The words 'Home of the Sun Warriors' were painted in gold on the front of the main office desk. The walls were lined with several uncomfortable-looking chairs and two small end tables with flyers advertising school clubs.

Sokka sat in one of the chairs, furthest from the desk, and flipped mindlessly through a flyer for the chess club, not even noticing what he was looking at. Katara paced nervously in the short distance between the walls, occasionally throwing glances over at Sokka. After half an hour of waiting passed, the side door opened and a young girl, who looked about Sokka's age, stepped out and walked over to Katara.

The girl was tall with wide shoulders and a thin build. She had straight black hair which curled out at the tips, resting on her shoulders, and a huge, obviously fake, smile. She nodded to Sokka and Katara, then closed her hands in front of her. "I'm Joo Dee, welcome to Omashu High," she said, clearly bored by her own words and trying to hide it.

"I'm Katara and this is my brother, Sokka. It's really great to meet you. Are you the guide we were told about?" Katara asked, growing quite excited about having a tour of the school.

Sokka stood up and tossed the flyer back onto the table. Joo Dee gave Katara a small nod and signaled for the two to follow her. Classes were already in session, so the hallways were empty as Joo Dee led Sokka and Katara around the school. She showed them the lockers, the gymnasium, the lunch room, the auditorium and the nurse's station. The tour would have taken a mere twenty minutes, for the school wasn't very large, had Katara not felt the need to ask questions at every stop.

Joo Dee came to a stop in front of a classroom and turned to Sokka. She handed him a blue card and smiled. "Here is your schedule. This is your first class," she said, nodding to the door. "I'm in my final year as well. We have a few classes together." She smiled again and turned to Katara. "Come. I will show you your first class."

Sokka stared down at his schedule until Katara and Joo Dee were out of sight. He smiled, liking the idea of a two day class structure, and slid the card into his back pocket. He took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping into the classroom. Instantly, he was overwhelmed with the uncomfortable sensation of having twenty pairs of eyes locked on him. He cast a glance towards the man standing at the front of the room and smiled, awkwardly.

"Come in, come in. Sokka, right? We've been expecting you," the man said, slightly excited and a bit flustered. "I'm Professor Zei, but you can call me Zei. Or Professor, whichever you feel more comfortable with."

Sokka nodded and hitched his bag higher on his shoulder. He looked at Professor Zei, clearly expecting something. When the man merely stared back, he sighed. "Where should I sit? Do I get a book?"

"Oh, yes!" Professor Zei pointed towards an empty seat in the middle of the front row. "You can sit there, or there is one in the back. I'll go get you a book." He dashed from the room, not even bothering to close the door.

Sokka dropped his bag by the desk up front, not wanting to walk to the back of the room. He slid into the desk, trying to ignore the sensation of being stared at.

"Sokka. That's a nice name," came a female voice to Sokka's right side. He turned and smiled at the girl that was staring and leaning towards him. She was a tiny girl, with small, sharp features and blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail. When she smiled, her thin lips faded away, revealing overly large teeth. "My name's Song," she said, tilting her head.

"Nice to meet you," Sokka said with a small smile. Song opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by the boy behind her.

"I'm Haru," the boy said, leaning forward and offering his hand. Haru was a large boy, in the sense that he was well over six foot tall and had a large amount of muscle mass. Despite his size being that of a wrestler, he had soft, kind, green eyes and a warm smile. His light brown hair reached his middle back and was secured in a loose band.

Sokka shook Haru's hand and smiled back at him, trying to ignore the massive amount of eyelash batting coming from Song.

"Who do you know in the war?" Haru asked, casually. When Sokka gave him a questioning eyebrow raise, he smiled and pointed to the military insignia patch on Sokka's messenger bag. He lifted his own bag, pointing to an identical patch.

"My dad," Sokka answered with a nod. "He's a General."

"Same here," Haru said. "My dad, I mean. He isn't a General, he's a Sergeant."

Before another word could be said, Professor Zei stepped back into the room, holding a worn History book in his arms. "Here you are, Sokka." He dropped the book onto Sokka's desk, making the boy turn and face front. "Alright class, where were we?"

"You were just explaining Wan Shi Tong's treaty with the North," Song answered, casting her eyes toward Sokka with a grin.

Sokka sighed and pulled open his book to the page that he noticed hers on. He rested his head on his hand, propping it up with his elbow, and poked at his lip ring with his tongue, making a small effort to focus on the lesson, which he had already been through at his last school. As the end of class came and the students filed out of the room, Sokka pulled out his schedule card, trying to recall where Joo Dee had said B Hall was.

A hand reached out and popped the schedule from his grip. "Your next class is with me," Song said, grinning widely. "I'll show you the way." She looked over the rest of the schedule and pulled a face. "Just the first two together," she moped, her voice full of unhidden disappointment. "Wow. Advanced Calculus?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty good with numbers," Sokka answered dryly, taking his schedule card back. He motioned for Song to lead the way out of the room and slung his bag over his shoulder.

Sokka hated the way Song kept turning back and smiling as they walked. He was never secretive about his sexuality, but he wasn't fond of the odd turn that conversations tended to take after the revelation. So often, Sokka wished that sexuality was as easily noticeable as hair color, that way he wouldn't constantly have to find a way to slip it into conversation when meeting people, mainly girls. Once, he had even gone so far as to buy a button for his backpack, but the trinket mysteriously disappeared later the same day. He suspected Katara.

Song led the way into another classroom and frowned as she took her usual seat, which was surrounded by filled desks. Sokka made his way to the desk in the front of the room and received a copy of William Shakespeare's Hamlet from the Professor.

"I'm Professor Feng. This is what we're studying right now. We're already here," Professor Feng pointed to a book mark poking up from the center of the book, "I expect you to be caught up by next Tuesday." He gave Sokka an analyzing glance over and pointed to the only empty seat in the room, three rows back to the furthest left. "Sit. Don't cause any trouble."

"Yes, Sir," Sokka said, hurrying over to the desk. He dropped his bag and sat down, giving a quick smile to the boy in front of him, who was turned around, smiling.

With small, dark brown eyes, shaggy chocolate colored hair, smooth tanned skin and a crooked smile, this boy was one that Sokka would definitely define as handsome. Sokka was, however, a bit put off by the well-chewed toothpick that was protruding from the boy's mouth. The boy moved the offensive object and held his hand out to Sokka. "The name's Jet."

"Sokka." He shook Jet's hand quickly, feeling the boy's fingers brush his palm, and darted his eyes towards the Professor.

"He's not that bad," Jet said, placing the pick back into his mouth. "He tries to sound tough, but as long as you don't cause trouble, he won't give you a hard time."

Sokka smiled and breathed a small sigh of relief. He watched Jet's hand as the boy twirled a thick silver band around on the desk, then slid it back into place on his middle finger.

"I like that," Jet said, calling Sokka's attention back to his face. He pointed towards Sokka eyebrow and raised one of his own. "I was thinking of getting mine done, but the guy said that I might lose my ability to do this if I did it." He pointed to the single raised eyebrow on his face. "Can't risk it. Drives the ladies crazy."

Sokka shifted in his seat and smirked. "I can imagine it does." He could feel his cheeks growing hot and covered his mouth with his hand to hide a goofy grin.

"I went for this instead." Jet took the pick from his mouth and opened it just enough to reveal a bright silver bar through his tongue. He waggled it a bit and shot Sokka a wink before the bell prompted him to turn properly in his seat.

Sokka turned his head towards the desk, hoping that his cheeks weren't as red as they felt to him. He lifted his eyes and smiled as he set sight on the back of Jet's neck, which bore a large, black symbol of Oriental style. The tip of another symbol beneath it showed that it wasn't alone. "What's your tattoo say?" he whispered.

"Whatever it takes, win one battle at a time," Jet answered, not looking back.

Sokka leaned back in his chair, wondering exactly how many symbols were on the boy's back to say all of that. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned his attention to Professor Feng as he discussed a passage from the play. He flipped through the pages he was going to have to read and frowned, not liking the idea of having to get through half of the book in only a week. He sighed and turned to the first page, figuring there was no use in trying to take part in a lesson he had no knowledge of.

Sokka let his eyes move over the pages, finding that he kept rereading the same sentences in an effort to understand them. The sound of the bell made him jump and drop the book. He rubbed at his eyes and picked up his bag, stowing the book away.

"Pretty good, huh?" Jet asked as he stood up and placed his bag on the desk. "I'm a bigger fan of Othello, but this one's good too." He smiled down at Sokka.

"I don't understand most of it," Sokka answered, honestly. "I don't really read much. It isn't my thing."

Jet leaned forward, putting his hands on Sokka's desk, and smirked at him. "What is your thing?" he asked, drawing out his words.

Before Sokka could answer, Song was standing over him with a perky smile. "Walk with me to lunch?" she asked with a small giggle escaping her lips.

"Sokka's walking with me," Jet said, giving the girl a charming smile.

"Maybe I could walk with you both." Song was now batting her lashes at Jet, who seemed to be enjoying the attention.

Sokka cleared his throat and stood up. "Actually, I have to meet up with my sister. I'll see you both around." With that, he dashed from the room, leaving them both confused.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: For those of you unfamiliar with a "two day class structure" it means that you have four classes one day and then a different four the next day, alternating. Okay, here comes a pitch. If you guys are Sokka/Zuko fans (which you clearly are if you are reading this) then head over to my profile and look under favorite stories. You will find one called "No Such Thing As Stability" it is absolutely brilliant. Romance, action, drama and even some good ole Sokka humor. :D -Jenna**

**Now Beta'd by Endless Eclipse. **


	3. Stranger With a Scar

**Chapter 3: Stranger With a Scar**

**.**

The lunch room at Omashu High was filling quickly with students. The lines for food were growing long with increasingly impatient teenagers and the tables were becoming surrounded. Katara walked, silently, next to a young girl from her class. The girl was the same size as Katara and had large green eyes with a nice twinkle. She had long, light brown hair that was pulled to the sides in two low-hanging pigtails. She grabbed a tray and handed it to Katara, flicking her long, angled bangs from her eyes.

"Thanks, Jin," Katara said, sweetly, as she took the tray. Her eyes fell over the bustling lunch room, looking for her brother. "Who are you looking at?" she asked, noticing that Jin was staring hard in the direction of several boys.

Jin pulled her eyes back to Katara and grinned. "No one," she said, gently, a tiny blush rising to her cheeks.

Katara grinned and turned her attention to the large variety of sandwiches on a rack by the trays. She selected a turkey with cheese and a small bag of chips, then turned back to see Jin make an identical selection. "Where do you sit?"

"Where there's room. I don't have a permanent table. I usually just sit alone," she admitted, looking rather sheepish.

"Well, you can sit with my brother and me. Unless he's already made a bunch of friends, then you can just sit with me," Katara answered, smiling at Jin. "There he is," she called out, perking up at the sight of Sokka.

"He's cute," Jin whispered, spotting the boy that Katara was focused on.

Katara let out an awkward laugh and grabbed her brother's arm. "Where are you sitting?"

Sokka eyed his sister with suspicion and shrugged. "I don't know. With Jet maybe."

"Jet?" Jin asked with a blush. "He sits in the back with a couple of other guys." She nodded towards the back of the lunch room and smiled. "He's kind of exclusive though. Doesn't let just anyone sit with him."

Sokka shrugged and looked in the direction that Jin had nodded. "I don't know, he seemed nice enough to me."

Katara frowned at her brother and looked back to Jin. "This is Jin, by the way. Jin this is my brother, -"

"Sokka!" Haru called out from behind the trio. He stepped up in front of Sokka and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You wanna come sit with us?" he asked, nodding towards a table where Joo Dee and another girl were seated. "They can come too."

Katara straightened herself and smiled happily at Haru. "That would be nice. I'm Katara, Sokka's sister. This is -"

"Jin, I know. Small school." Haru grinned and waved his hand for everyone to follow him. He sat back down at the table, between the girls, and waited for Sokka, Katara and Jin to take a seat. "Joo Dee says you've already met," he said, putting his arm around the girl as he spoke about her. "This is Suki. Suki, this is Sokka and his younger sister, Katara."

"I'm not that much younger," Katara said, shifting in her seat to sit taller. "I'm fifteen already."

Suki gave Katara a dazzling smile and cut her eyes, knowingly, up at Haru. Suki was a pretty girl, with pale skin, hazel eyes and full lips. She had auburn hair, cut short and angled towards her face. She was thin, but her body seemed sculpted, like that of a fighter. She leaned forward on the table and scooted towards Sokka a bit. "How old are you, Sokka?"

Sokka looked up from his tray with his mouth full of food and gave Suki a grin. Katara rolled her eyes and sighed. "If my brother wasn't stuffing his face, he would tell you that he's seventeen," she said, bitterly, unwrapping her own sandwich.

"It's lunch time, Katara, that's what people do," Sokka said as he finished chewing. He looked over at Katara and smiled as he spotted Jet waving at him from behind her. He waved back and watched as Jet started walking their way.

"Who are you waving at?" Katara snapped.

"Me," Jet said, casually as he stepped up behind Katara. He took the remaining empty seat at the table and turned it around to sit backwards. He pulled the toothpick from his mouth and gave Katara a crooked smile. "I'm Jet. You must be that sister that Sokka was talking about."

Katara nodded and stared at Jet with an almost dream-like face. "K-Katara," she stuttered out, tucking one of her hair strands behind her ear.

"Pleased to meet you, K-Katara," Jet said with a smirk. He gave a quiet laugh when Katara blushed and looked over at Sokka, who had resumed eating. "You have Gym next?"

Sokka nodded, not looking up from his tray.

"Alright, see you in a while, then." Jet stood up and popped the pick back between his teeth, shooting Katara a wink.

Sokka did his best to tune out the resulting half-squealed conversation between Katara and Jin about Jet's eyes and smile. As he finished his lunch, he groaned at seeing Song approaching the table. The girl took a seat and soon, after a quick introduction, she was enthralled in the analyzing of Jet's wink.

A slow smirk crawled across Sokka's face as he saw his opportunity to shut down the stares and eyelash batting from both Song and Jin, not to mention, do the one thing that his sister hated. He stood up and lifted his tray, casting a glance towards his sister. "Yeah," he said, loudly, drawing the attention of the giggling girls. "He has a tongue ring too. It's really hot."

"Sokka," Katara whined, putting her hand over her face. "He's kidding." She looked between the wide eyed faces of Jin and Song, who were both staring up at Sokka.

"I am not," Sokka bit, defiantly. "I saw it myself." He cut his eyes away from his clearly annoyed sister and passed them over the table.

Haru put his face towards the table and covered his mouth with his hand. His shoulders were shaking with quiet laughter as he cut his eyes towards Song's shocked face. Suki giggled quietly and Joo Dee just rolled her eyes at Katara's red face.

"He has a tattoo, also. Right here," Sokka continued, pointing to the back of his neck and smirking at Katara. "Wanna know what it says?"

"That's enough, Sokka." Katara snapped, angrily. She shook her head and looked down at her half eaten sandwich.

Sokka turned away from the table and headed over to the trash cans.

"Wait up!" Haru called out, following Sokka to the cans. "I'll walk with you to Gym. It's my next class too." He dumped his tray and led the way out of the lunch room. "What's his tattoo say?" he asked with a grin as the boy's approached the gymnasium.

"Something about winning battles," Sokka answered with a laugh.

"You can't remember? I just told you," Jet called out as he stepped up behind Sokka and Haru. He raced ahead of them and pulled open the gym doors, holding them open for the two boys and one other that was following. "This is Longshot," he said, pointing towards the tall, thin boy behind them.

Sokka gave the boy a small wave and received one in return. He turned his face back to Jet and fell into step beside him as they headed into the changing room.

"Sokka?" A large, muscled man with large hands, angled facial hair and stern eyes stepped in front of Sokka and glared down at him with a look of distaste. "I'm Coach Zhao," the man growled. "You'll have to sit out today. I'll give you your work out clothes after class. They are your responsibility to clean and bring to every class. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes, Sir," Sokka stammered.

"Good. Now go into the gym and take a seat on the bleachers. Don't cause any trouble. I've had kids like you through here before and they always cause trouble." Coach Zhao shook his head and turned away from Sokka.

Sokka frowned, wondering what the coach had meant by 'kids like you', but he let it go and headed towards the gym. As he passed through, he couldn't help but notice that Jet's tattoo symbols stretched down his entire back. He also noticed how well built the boy was, but perhaps that could have been avoided. He took a seat on the second row of the bleachers and leaned back, trying to find a comfortable position.

The -all male- students began to file out of the changing room and take up positions to begin a game of basketball. Many of the boys were throwing glances in Sokka's direction, whispering amongst themselves and occasionally pointing at him. Sokka shifted in his seat and tried to ignore the behavior, finding it quite difficult.

Jet rushed over and stood in front of Sokka, looking down at him with a smirk. "You would think they've never seen a new student before, the way they're acting." He cast a glance behind him at one of the staring students and shook his head. He squatted down to be even with Sokka and gave a quiet laugh. "I'd imagine they are all just worrying about their girlfriends getting swept away." He winked at Sokka and stood back up, racing over to his group of teammates.

Sokka groaned, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks again. He rubbed his hand over his face and pulled the goofy grin from it, annoyed that it was the second time he had to that today. He watched as the class all started their very intense game of basketball. He wondered if it was just hopeful imaginings or if Jet was actually looking over at him every time he stole the ball or made a shot.

As Jet's teammates were clapping him on the back for his latest shot, he turned towards Sokka and gave him a big, crooked smile. He walked backwards across the gym, refusing to take his eyes off of the boy. He pulled his hand back through his hair when Sokka smiled back, but his own smile faltered at the appearance of another boy.

Sokka turned to see what had made Jet frown. He watched as another boy entered the gym and took a seat not far from him on the bleachers. The boy was dressed in a pair of dark blue, loose fitting jeans and a button up shirt with a wild blue and black splatter pattern. He had a heavily studded belt and a multitude of bracelets, made up of leather and chains combinations. He had a black hematite ring on his left thumb and his right middle finger held a thick silver ring.

Sokka turned his head away, not allowing himself to look upon the face of the boy sitting a small ways from him. He refocused on the game, smirking at the almost show off-like behavior coming from Jet. There was a shuffling sound to Sokka's left and a notebook fell to the ground, close to his feet. He made a quick grab for it, meeting the hand of the other boy. He released the book and looked up into a pair of golden, honey eyes.

Sokka swallowed hard as he took in the face of the other boy. He was pale with sharp features and smooth lips. His thick, black hair was messy and roughly cut, angled forward in a clear attempt to cover the red, coarse scar that extended over his left eye and back to his ear. He wore several sets of earrings, two thick studs and two hoops, and an eyebrow ring, similar to Sokka's, only in blue rather than silver.

The boy hurried back to where he was sitting and began sorting out the mess he had made. Sokka slid across the bleacher and picked up a pen that had rolled towards his foot. He held it out and smiled, but the boy took it without looking up at him. Sokka cleared his throat and smiled again. When the boy still refused to look up, he reached over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Can I help you?" the boy asked, still refusing to look at Sokka.

Sokka frowned and pulled his hand away. "I just wanted to say hi. I'm Sokka."

"I know. I've been in your last two classes," the boy said, opening his notebook and leaning back.

Sokka shifted awkwardly and leaned towards the boy, chewing on his bottom lip. "Are you going to tell me your name?"

The boy gave an annoyed sigh and tapped his pen on his notebook, clearly considering the question. "If I tell you my name, will you slide back over there and leave me alone?"

"Um...sure," Sokka answered, frowning. He fumbled with the hem of his shirt, feeling even more awkward.

"My name is Z-"

The boy was cut off by a basketball hitting against the bleacher in the narrow, almost too small, space between them. Both boy's flinched at the sudden intrusion and turned towards the gym floor where Jet was wearing a smug grin.

"Sorry, it slipped," Jet said, not sounding the least bit apologetic.

Sokka lifted his eyebrows and stayed silent as Jet returned to the game. He cut his eyes towards the boy with the scar and rubbed his lips together. "Your name?"

"It isn't important."

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Yes, finally with the Zuko! Don't worry, he will turn up more. After all, I can't have him parading around like Jet. Zuko is an introvert. :D -Jenna**

**Now Beta'd by Endless Eclipse.**


	4. Dojos & Pai Sho

**Chapter 4: Dojos & Pai Sho**

**.**

Sokka could barely focus on his Calculus lesson through the next period, earning him the moniker of 'flighty' from Professor Kwan. He didn't like the idea of being on the woman's bad side, as she seemed like the unforgiving type. He had asked Longshot, who sat in front of him for the class, the name of the boy with the scar from Gym class. Longshot simply frowned and tapped on the assignment in front of Sokka.

He considered asking Joo Dee, who was also in Advanced Calculus, but thought better of it, not wanting to seem desperate for information. When Sokka inquired of Longshot whether Jet was actually flirting with him or if it was just his personality, he received a smirk in response. Sokka scoffed and leaned back in his seat, annoyed with the boy's cryptic silence.

As Sokka made his way towards the school exit, after class, he felt a hand close around his wrist and pull him over to the side of the hallway. He looked around into the faces of Longshot, Jet, a very short girl with a short haircut and a large, overweight boy. Jet smiled and put his hand on the wall beside Sokka's head.

"This is Pipsqueak and Smellarbee," Jet said, pointing to the large boy and the girl, respectively. "Guys, this is Sokka." Though he was speaking to the others, his eyes never left Sokka's face.

"Nice to meet you both," Sokka said, giving them a small wave. "I would stay and talk, but I promised I would be home right after school to help out my Gran Gran." He pointed towards the door and slid away from the group.

"Wait." Jet fell into step beside Sokka, as they headed out of the school, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "His name is Zuko."

Sokka looked over at Jet and raised his eyebrows in confusion. "The boy from Gym class?" he asked, turning his attention back to the ground in front of them, which was thick and muddy from the melted snow, just as The Blind Bandit had warned.

"Yeah. His name is Zuko and he's bad news. You shouldn't get yourself mixed up with a trouble-maker like that." Jet pulled a small box out of his pocket and took a toothpick from it. "That scar...his own fault. Set his kitchen on fire having a fight with his old man." He popped the toothpick into his mouth and stopped at the corner. "I'm this way."

Sokka turned to see Jet pointing down the street. "I'm this way," he answered, pointing straight in the direction they were walking. "So, I'll see you tomorrow."

Jet nodded slowly and stuffed his hands back into his pockets. "You'll definitely be seeing me tomorrow." He gave Sokka a very obvious look over and turned away, heading down his street.

Sokka swallowed hard and chewed his bottom lip. "Intense guy," he muttered under his breath, turning back to his proper direction. He hadn't taken a single step further when he heard his name.

"Sokka!"

Sokka groaned, recognizing his sister's voice, and spun around, a clearly forced smile etched on his face. He kept his hands closed around the strap on his bag in front of him and raised his eyebrows at Katara. She was hurrying up to him, Suki following close behind her. She was smiling way too happily for it to be sincere, at least when dealing with Sokka. She stopped in front of him and waited for Suki to catch up.

"Why didn't you wait on me?" Katara asked, a false tone of hurt showing in her voice.

Sokka pulled a confused face and cut his eyes around, wondering if perhaps he was being filmed for a gag show. "Are you kidding?"

"No," Katara said, sharply, before returning to her smile. "You remember Suki from lunch, right? She is coming over today. Her grandfather lives in the apartments that Gran Gran is in." She cast her eyes back to Suki, her face beaming with admiration.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone's grandfather lives there. The place is nothing but Seniors." Sokka rolled his eyes and turned away, looking rather annoyed at the giddy laugh that Katara gave over his joke. "That wasn't even funny, Katara," he said, a little taken aback about having said that, seeing as how it was typically other people telling him that things weren't funny.

The three walked in silence for the remaining two blocks to the apartment. Once inside, Sokka dropped his bag by the door and hurried into the kitchen. Gran Gran was already in the kitchen with a large plate, full of crackers and cheese wedges. Sokka grinned when the woman laid the plate on the table and signaled for him to sit down.

"You're the greatest, Gran Gran," Sokka said, settling into the chair and starting on his snack. "I was thinking," he managed to say through a cracker-filled mouth. "I should try and find a job around here, somewhere. I don't like being broke. I have some money saved up, but it won't last long. There's a new board I have my eye on."

"Where do you think you can work around here?" Katara said, cattily as she came into the kitchen, tugging Suki along behind her. "This isn't like when we lived in the city, I doubt there are any of those punk shops around here."

"It was a skate shop," Sokka answered, sticking his cracker-covered tongue out at his sister. "Besides, I'm sure there's something I can do. Places always need dishwashers." He gave a small nod and stuffed the last few crackers into his mouth before heading out of the room, towards the bedroom.

Loud music filled the apartment soon after, slightly muffled by the closed bedroom door. Katara pulled out seats for Suki and herself when Gran Gran offered them a snack.

"Your brother is...charming," Suki said, rolling her eyes slightly at the thought. She picked up a cracker and leaned back against the chair, breaking her usually pristine posture.

Katara laughed quietly and rested her arms on the table, picking apart a cracker. "Well, he can be when he wants to be. I just wish he would act that way more often. He has his...moments."

"Oh, I wasn't insulting him. He's interesting, doesn't try too hard to impress anyone it seems." Suki gave a small shrug and smirked. "Then again, he could be trying really hard not to appear to be trying hard. That's what Jet does, it's a little pathetic, honestly. He's good looking and all, but that isn't enough for him, I guess."

Katara blushed at the mention of Jet and turned her head towards the table. "He seemed...nice." She smiled up at Suki and tried to contain the giggle that was attempting to burst from her throat.

Suki made a small scoffing sound and leaned forward on the table. "Jet is..." She sighed loudly and shook her head. "Never mind, you strike me as a 'learn the hard way' kind of girl." She smirked and tilted her head, bobbing it slightly. "I love this song," she said, closing her eyes and shifting her shoulders in time with the music coming from Sokka's stereo in the bedroom.

Katara was glad that Suki's eyes were closed and the girl hadn't seen her quick flash of distaste. "Yeah, it's...great," she said, weakly. She turned her face away from her grandmother, who had shot her a look that just screamed 'yeah right'. "Suki's parents own the dojo just down the street. She said that I could come by sometime if that was alright with you, Gran Gran."

The old woman gave a quiet laugh at the idea of seeing the girl in a dojo, but simply smiled. "You're more than welcome to go anytime you would like, dear." She turned back to the sink to hide her amusement.

Suki gave a small whine as the music came to a stop, but perked up when Sokka came back into the kitchen. "Shoulda left it on," she said, flashing Sokka a dazzling smile, which was ignored.

"I'm gonna go next door and see what Pakku is up to, I figure he could use some company and I'm kinda bored," Sokka said, giving his grandmother a quick hug.

"Don't stay out too late," Gran Gran called after the boy, but he was out the door without hearing her.

Sokka stretched his back as he stepped onto the walkway and headed over to Pakku's apartment, two down from his grandmother's. As he lifted his hand to knock, the door swung open and an old man who was bald on top with long white hair around the sides stepped out. The man was thin and tall and had a long white mustache and a patch on his chin. He carried himself like a man of great importance and his thin blue eyes made it clear he had seen things he regretted in his life. He looked down at Sokka and gave the boy an inquisitive smile.

"I was just coming over to see you, Pakku," Sokka said, smiling up at the man. "I figured we could hang out for a while. Not much to do at the house, Katara has a friend over and I feel a little outmatched with all the females." He gave a happy laugh and looked at Pakku, expectantly, but the man didn't laugh.

"I was just heading out to see a friend of mine and play some Pai Sho." The old man looked down into Sokka's hopeful eyes and sighed. "Would you like to come along?"

Sokka nodded eagerly and fell into step beside Pakku as he walked. "Hey, Pakku, did you hear about the two pretzels that were walking alone on the street late one night?"

Pakku cut his eyes towards Sokka and frowned. "Pretzels?"

"Yeah," Sokka said, grinning. "Two pretzels were walking along and one was assaulted." The boy broke out into a hysterical fit of laughter and clapped the old man on the back. "Oh, come on. Don't you get it? Pretzels...assaulted. Like a sal-"

"Yes, Sokka, I get it," the old man said, dryly. "You know, customarily, when two people walk together, they do so in silence." He pursed his lips and stared in front of him, ignoring the pout that sprang to Sokka's face. After a short, and thankfully silent, walk, Pakku raised his hand and pointed. "There is our destination. The Jasmine Dragon. My friend owns it. Do you like tea, Sokka?"

Sokka nodded and looked up at the small, two-story shoppe with light brown siding and a large Oriental overhang. It had several signs out front advertising various teas, one boasting that they had the best tea around, guaranteed. "I love tea," he said, trying not to sound too eager. "Hey look, Ginseng is the special today, that's my favorite," he said, pointing to a small sign by the door as the two walked into the tea shoppe.

"Mine as well," came a voice beside Sokka. He turned to see a robust man of his height, who appeared a bit under his grandmother's age. The man had dark grey hair, which wasn't on top, but around the sides and a small top knot behind him. His face held a large beard with five points to it. His golden eyes struck a familiar cord inside of Sokka, making him take a step back and smile, wearily. The man smiled back and looked up at Pakku. "Who is this, Pakku? The grandson of Kanna's you told me about?"

Pakku nodded and pushed Sokka towards the old man. "Sokka, this is my good friend, Iroh."

Sokka offered his hand and was pulled into a tight hug instead. He laughed quietly and returned the greeting to the man. "It's nice to meet you too, Iroh," he said, once released. "So, that sign out front says you have the best tea anywhere. I'd sure like to find out."

Iroh's eyes lit up and he smiled, happily. "That sign is right, I'll show you. Two cups of Ginseng and a cup of Jasmine," he said the last, tilting his head to Pakku, "coming right up. Go set up the board, Pakku, I'm going to take you down today. I've been practicing."

Pakku simply smirked at the man and led Sokka to a table near the back as Iroh dashed away behind the counter. Sokka let his eyes wander around the shoppe as Pakku attended to a Pai Sho board behind him. His eyes followed a boy out of the back room and into the shoppe. The boy attended to a few tables and began clearing the one next to Sokka. It took a moment, but realization dawned as he recognized the boy from Gym class.

"Zuko." Sokka hadn't even meant to speak, but he was glad he did when the boy looked up, with a half smile. He smiled back and watched as the boy's face dropped.

"You again, huh?" Zuko rolled his eyes and lifted the empty cups from the table. He turned away and headed back for the back room. Sokka got up and followed, again without thinking. "What do you want?" Zuko asked, narrowing his eyes at Sokka. "I see you found out my name all on your own." He dumped the cups into a large sink and folded his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, J-just someone told me your name." Sokka nodded, awkwardly and looked away, feeling as though he were very much unwanted in the room.

"Well, J-just someone is a jerk and I would rather you kept my name out of your little...conversations." Zuko dropped his arms and turned away from Sokka, putting his hands on the sink and leaning against it. "Did you need something else or is hovering your thing?"

Sokka frowned and opened his mouth to speak, however, for once in his life, there were no words he could find. He simply sighed and turned away from Zuko, pushing back into the main of the tea shoppe. He slumped into his seat across from Pakku and watched quietly as the two men partook in their game. He sipped at his tea, which really was the best tea he had ever tasted, and tried to keep from watching Zuko as he moved around the shoppe taking orders and clearing tables.

Sokka didn't know how devastatingly difficult it was for Zuko to concentrate on his work with him sitting there. He didn't see as Zuko would cast glances his way when clearing tables or the way that the boy would look away every time Sokka shifted in his seat. Sokka didn't see the knowing look in Iroh's eyes as he led them to the door and bid a goodbye to him and Pakku.

"Oh, Sokka," Iroh said, grabbing onto the boy's arm as he was heading out. "I don't suppose you would be interested in a job, would you? I can imagine a young boy such as yourself would need some spending money and things around here get very busy on the weekends and on special nights. My nephew and I could sure use some extra help if you are willing."

Sokka about came out of skin at the offer. "Yeah! I mean, yes, Sir. That would be great. I was just telling Gran Gran that I needed to find a job. This is great. Thank you so much. I won't let you down, Sir. Do you need a reference or anything? I have the number for my old boss, if you need." He began shuffling around through his pocket for his wallet.

"No, no, that won't be necessary. Pakku tells me you're a good kid and I'm inclined to believe him. Just show up tomorrow after school and I will get you all set up." Iroh gave the boy a pat on the back and smiled as he headed back into the shoppe.

"Thanks," Sokka said, looking up at Pakku.

"For what?" the man asked, innocently.

"For saying I'm a good kid."

"Yeah, well, if you have a job then you won't be running around the apartments telling those dreadful jokes anymore." Pakku let out a small laugh at the fallen look on Sokka's face.

Sokka pulled himself together and scoffed. "My jokes are great. For example, knock knock?"

Pakku's sigh could be heard from three streets over.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Okay, so I felt as though the "new environment" drama was really killing Sokka's style, but hopefully I've given him a bit of redemption here. What do you guys think of Sokka working with Zuko? Think that'll get things going? :D -Jenna**

**Now Beta'd by Endless Eclipse.**


	5. We Have Chemistry Together

**Chapter 5: We Have Chemistry Together**

.

Eight high set, laboratory tables filled a tiny Chemistry classroom. There was a large lab table up front with a marker board behind it on the wall and a personal desk to the side, holding an old school issued computer. Most of the students were already in the classroom when Sokka arrived and headed to the front. He was looking down at his schedule as he walked and didn't notice the students around him. He finally consented to look up when he reached the teacher's desk and his eyes lit up with recognition.

"Pakku!" Sokka cried out, beaming happily at the old man who was sitting behind the old computer. "I didn't know you taught here. Gran Gran said you were a teacher, I thought you worked with the younger kids though." He put his hands on the desk and leaned forward, still grinning.

Pakku closed his eyes and took a deep breath as though he were preparing for an ordeal. "Yes, I teach here, Sokka. You should call me Professor while we are at school though." He sighed and rose from his seat, taking hold of Sokka's shoulder and moving him away from his personal desk. He lifted a book from the side of the desk and pressed it into Sokka's hands, then turned him towards the front lab table. "There's only one spot. At least I don't have to worry about you talking the whole class."

Sokka was momentarily confused at Pakku's words, until he looked up and saw that his new lab partner was none other than Zuko. "You got that right," he muttered. "The guy can't stand me and I haven't even done anything." He sighed and sauntered over to the table, placing his book down and dropping his bag into the floor. He gave a smile to Zuko, but was met with a coldness in return as the other boy returned his attention back to the notebook he was writing in. Sokka rolled his eyes and reached for his stool, being taken aback when the piece of furniture suddenly moved from his reach.

"You gotta be quicker," came a familiar voice from the table behind Sokka's. He looked up into Jet's smiling face and returned the smile. The boy unhooked his foot from the rung on Sokka's stool and pushed it back towards him. "Lucky you for getting such a warm and cheerful lab partner," Jet said, laughing quietly, then cut his eyes over at Longshot, his own lab partner, momentarily. He passed his toothpick across his lips and leaned forward on the table, locking his eyes onto Sokka's. "How do you know the Professor?" he asked, glancing towards Pakku.

Sokka grinned and looked back towards the old man. "He's my Gran Gran's neighbor and sort of her boyfriend. He's a great guy. Talked his friend into getting me a job, actually." He couldn't help but glance over at Zuko when he said this. The boy turned his head slightly, just enough that Sokka could tell he was glaring at him. He chewed his bottom lip, flicking at his lip ring with the tip of his tongue, and turned away from Zuko.

Jet was looking at Sokka with a face that made the boy feel as though he hadn't actually been listening to a word that was just said. He reached up and pulled the tiny, wooden protrusion from between his lips, then smiled warmly up at Sokka, parting his lips just enough that he could be seen running his tongue across the inside of his bottom lip. "Where, um, where is this... job?" Jet asked, making Sokka raise his eyebrows in surprise that he had been heard.

"Just this little...shoppe," Sokka answered, swallowing hard, feeling as though bringing up something in direct relation with Zuko was a bad idea. He wasn't certain, but it almost sounded as if the pen in Zuko's hand was scratching harder against the paper in an almost violent way. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and breathed a sigh of relief as the bell signaled the start of class. He swiftly pulled his stool into place and turned his attention towards the front of the room.

Jet popped his toothpick into his mouth and flipped open his book. His eyes moved up and towards Zuko, who was staring at him with an annoyed face. Jet pursed his lips towards Zuko and raised one eyebrow, causing Zuko to make an audible sound of disgust. Jet snorted a laugh and licked his lips, turning towards Longshot, who was also staring at him. "What?" he asked innocently. Longshot merely shook his head and cast a long glance at the back of Sokka's head. He turned back to Jet and shook his head once more. Jet smiled and nodded at his friend, then turned towards the front.

Despite having to work together on an assignment, Zuko managed to go the entire class period without speaking to Sokka; he barely even looked at him, only raising his eyes when it was absolutely crucial. Sokka, who wasn't used to being ignored so blatantly, was starting to grow quite annoyed with Zuko's cold shoulder attitude. As class was winding down, Sokka turned to Zuko and grabbed his arm, making the boy stare at him with wide eyes.

"I didn't do anything to you," Sokka said, his voice a bit more stern than it was ever was. "I haven't done a single thing wrong to you and you're being a jerk. If you wanna be a jerk, then fine, but don't expect me to keep on trying to be nice." He dropped his hand from Zuko's arm and shook his head, turning his face away from the boy to pick up his bag. "Maybe I should just try to find a different job. It's pretty obvious that you don't want me around you."

"No." Zuko's voice was small and hesitant. He frowned and let out a long breath through his nose. "You can keep the job. It isn't _you_. You're right, you haven't done anything." He shifted awkwardly on his stool and cut his eyes towards Jet, saying more than his words could have.

Sokka let out a sharp breath and pulled his lips to the side, looking at Zuko with new-found realization. "Yeah, well, I don't know what your problem is with Jet, but I'm not him. It would be nice if you stopped with all the displaced anger." He nodded curtly and turned his back on Zuko, heading for the door. Before he stepped into the hallway, he felt a hand press against his lower back, sending a small shiver down his spine.

Jet guided Sokka out of the door and a few steps down the hallway, pushing against his lower back. "You're working with mopey in there? That's lame. You should come down to where I work and apply, then I could see you more," he said, winking suggestively. He raised his hand from Sokka's back and pushed his hair back away from the boy's face, looking into his eyes. He dropped his hand and brushed it over Sokka's shoulder before moving away from him.

Sokka opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally finding words. "Um...that sounds...nice, but I think I'll give it a shot at the Dragon before running off. I mean Pakku's friend is giving me a chance and I don't wanna just not accept that." He nodded nervously, not liking the annoyed look on Jet's face. "If it doesn't work out, then I'll definitely come by, though," he added, hoping to improve the suddenly tense situation.

Jet reached up and took away the toothpick form his mouth, then tossed it into the trash can behind Sokka. "Sure, whatever," he said dryly. He made a movement towards heading down the hallway before turning back and grinning. "You have free period after lunch? Please say you do."

Sokka quickly pulled out his schedule card and looked down at it. He was pretty sure that he did have that period free but there was nothing wrong with being certain before answering. He looked back up at Jet and smiled at him, nodding his head. "Yeah, I do. I'm guessing you do too?"

Jet nodded slowly and curled his tongue back, taking the ball of his tongue ring and holding it between his teeth. After a moment, he released the silver bar and smirked. "Sure do. What do you say I meet you after lunch and we can hang during the free time. Longshot has class, so I'm usually stuck hanging around the cafeteria, working." Without bothering to wait for an answer, Jet turned and dashed away to his next class.

Sokka walked to lunch with Haru and Joo Dee, after leaving Art class with them. He was never fond of Art, having such a minimal talent for it, but he was finding himself more annoyed with the teacher than the class itself. For starters, the man insisted on foregoing the traditional 'Professor' title, insisting that he simply be called Huu. To make it worse, Huu felt it was necessary to stand behind Sokka for the entire class period and constantly whisper things such as, "You have to let the brush guide you." and "Become one with the paint."

The three took a seat at what was Joo Dee and Haru's usual table and began to eat. They were soon joined by Katara and Jin and soon after that, Suki. It was growing increasingly obvious that Jin was having trouble focusing on the conversation, her eyes continuously moving across the lunch room towards a group of boys.

Katara, having been ignored for the third time, sighed and dropped her cup harshly. "Jin. Who are you staring at?" she asked pointedly, trying to follow Jin's line of view.

Jin blushed faintly at Katara's question and looked down onto her tray. "His name's Zuko," she said, quietly, as though she were ashamed. She glanced up with an angry expression when Sokka sputtered into his soda and started sniggering. "Just what's so funny?"

"I'm sorry," Sokka said, wiping his chin with the back of his hand and dragging it across his jeans. "I'm not laughing at you, it's just that...Zuko seems kinda...antisocial." He leaned forward and let his eyes fall onto Zuko, who was sitting at a table with several other boys, though none of them were speaking to each other.

Silence overtook the table as an awkward vibe shot through everyone. They all worked at their lunches keeping their heads down until Haru looked up and sighed. "Zuko isn't antisocial," he said, a bit of annoyance in his voice. "He's just...reserved." He met Sokka's eyes for a moment and frowned at him. "I didn't think you were the kind of guy to just jump to a conclusion about someone like that."

Sokka gaped at Haru and shook his head. "I'm not jumping!" he cried out. "I've tried and tried to talk to him and he has been really rude to me. I don't know how I am going to wo-"

"Perhaps if you chose better company, then he wouldn't have a problem talking to you. After all, what's that saying? If you lie with dogs, you get fleas." Haru sat back in his seat and started to open his mouth again, but snapped it closed at Jet's approach. He gave the boy what appeared to be a forced smile and turned his head back to his tray.

Jet didn't bother trying to return Haru's fake gesture, he just tugged on the shoulder of Sokka's shirt and grinned over at Katara. "Come on, Sokka, let's get out of here. I wanna show you something," he said, stepping back to allow room for Sokka to stand up.

Haru glanced up at Sokka once more and chewed his bottom lip as the boy did as Jet instructed. "Have fun at the kennel, Sokka," he said bitterly before looking back at his food and poking at it with his fork.

Sokka frowned at the top of Haru's head and grabbed his tray, silently following Jet away from the table. Jet headed towards the doors of the cafeteria, but Sokka reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. "I gotta throw out my stuff."

Jet rolled his eyes at Sokka and grabbed the tray from his hand. He glanced around him and smirked, putting his arm out in front of a tiny blonde girl as she made to pass by. "Hey, you wanna take this to the cans for me, beautiful?" he asked her, giving the girl a large and sparkling smile.

Much to Sokka's disbelief, the girl took the tray from Jet and carried it off. He stood gaping at Jet for a moment, amazed at what he had just done. "Who was that?" he asked, shaking his head.

Jet reached into his pocket and quickly got himself a new toothpick, shrugging at Sokka as he did so. "Like I know. Some girl. Does it matter?" He shoved the pick into his mouth and reached out, taking Sokka's hand firmly in his own and tugging him towards the doors. "Come on, you're wasting time, Sokka." He pulled the boy from the cafeteria and led him towards the gymnasium.

Once inside the locker room, Jet turned loose of Sokka's hand and signaled for him to follow. He led the boy into a small room off the side of the locker room, which held a medical examination table and a small sink with several cabinets above it. The room was where any sports injury was assessed and potentially treated. Jet closed the door behind them and walked over next to the sink, flicking on a small radio.

"_- so I told her, just don't put your foot in the hole anymore and you won't have that problem. Can you believe how dense some people can be? Anyways, that is all the time we have for today on the Lunch Hour. This is The Blind Bandit signing off, enjoy the rest of your school day... yeah right. Here is a little music to lift your spirits before one of the Professors proceeds to crush them again." _

As music began to stream from the speakers, Jet turned back to Sokka and gave him a crooked smile. "You like this music, right?" he asked, crossing back over to where Sokka was standing. He tossed his toothpick into the trash can beside Sokka's feet and reached out, slipping one arm around the boy's waist and stepping into him.

Sokka stepped back and found his back to be against the wall. Jet took his free hand and brushed it over Sokka's cheek, then cupped it around the side of Sokka's neck and leaned forward, pressing their lips together in a firm, deep kiss. He tightened his hold around Sokka's waist and gave a small moan when Sokka reached up and hooked his arms around his neck, pushing into the kiss.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Yes, I know, what a cruel cliffhanger. -Jenna**


	6. Like Last Time

**Chapter 6: Like Last Time**

**.**

Music filled the tiny examination room off the side of the boy's locker room in the gymnasium. Jet stood pressed against Sokka, who was backed against the wall, with his arms wrapped around the boy's waist and his lips pressed firmly against his. Sokka had his arms around Jet's neck, kissing him back with eagerness. The two boys grabbed at each other as their lips moved together fiercely. Jet slipped his hands around to Sokka's front and snapped open the button on his dark red jeans. Sokka gasped against Jet's lips and pulled his arms down, pushing Jet back away from him.

"What are you doing?" Sokka asked, quickly securing the button back on his pants. He looked up at Jet, his eyes full of shock.

Jet snorted a bit and looked around the room before putting his eyes back onto Sokka's face and giving him a crooked smile. "Are... are you serious?" The look on Sokka's face made it clear that the boy was serious, making Jet laugh once again. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm trying to get you out of those pants so we can have some fun." He stepped back into Sokka and gave him a sneaky smile, running his hand down his chest. "I'll let you be on top," he offered, cutting his eyes up to meet the other boy's.

"I don't want to be _on top_," Sokka argued, backing away from Jet.

"Fine, you can be on bottom," Jet said, his tone growing more excited. He reached out and grabbed onto Sokka's hands, pulling him back towards him. "I don't mind either way."

Sokka pulled out of Jet's grip again and shook his head. "That isn't what I meant. I mean, I don't want to be on top or bottom. I don't want to be in any position at all. I don't want to have sex." He swallowed hard, feeling a bit uneasy at the look on Jet's face.

"That's a lie. I've seen the way you look at me. I can see your eyes watching me. You were practically drooling when I was playing ball the other day. You can't tell me that I'm imagining that." Jet narrowed his eyes at Sokka and advanced on him once again, backing him against the examination table.

"No, no you didn't. I think you're hot and all, Jet, but I'm not gonna have sex with you just because you're hot." Sokka pushed against the boy's chest, making him back off. "I've known you for like... a day." He slipped away from the table, not liking the feeling of being cornered.

Jet smirked at Sokka and licked his lips, looking him over. "So it's a time thing. How long do you have to know me before I can get into those pants then?" he asked, reaching out and brushing his hand over Sokka's shoulder. He gave a pleased moan and leaned in, pressing his lips against Sokka's neck. He smiled against the boy's skin as he felt Sokka's body tense up, then relax under his lips. He pushed his arms around the boy's waist once more and whimpered. "I don't want to wait too long, Sokka. You're just so...." He pressed his lips onto his neck once more and smoothed his hand over his back.

Sokka let out a ragged breath and closed his eyes, losing his train of thought due to Jet's teasing. He licked his lips and smiled as Jet continued the slow assault on his neck. He wound his hands into the boy's shirt and took in a sharp breath. "It isn't time," he whispered. "I'm not gonna go that far with someone I don't love."

Jet started laughing against Sokka's neck and pulled back to look him in the eyes. "Are you fucking kidding me? You did not just say that you can't have sex with someone you don't love. Tell me that I heard you wrong." He brushed his hand over Sokka's cheek and rested it on the boy's neck. "You can't actually expect me to believe that. You're saying that you have been in love with every guy you've fucked?"

Sokka pushed Jet away from him and glared at the boy, who was still laughing quietly. "No. I am _not_ saying that I have been in love with every guy I've been with," he said, bitterly. He held up his hand as he saw Jet's mouth open to protest. "I am _saying _that when I ever do have sex, it _will be_ with someone I love. I'm not gonna throw away something that important on someone I don't care about." He turned away from Jet's shocked face and put his hands on the exam table, leaning against it.

Jet walked up behind Sokka and trailed his fingertips over the boy's arm. "That's so sweet. I wouldn't have pegged you as a virgin. That's okay though." He leaned against Sokka's shoulder and slipped one arm around his waist. "We can still do other things." He dropped his hand back over Sokka's pants line and ran his tongue over the boy's neck.

"No, we can't!" Sokka cried out, pulling away from Jet. He held his hands up in front of him like a shield and shook his head. "Look, I don't mind a little kissing and even a little over the clothes style touching, but I am _not_ that kinda guy." He stepped back towards the door and bit down on his bottom lip, staring at Jet with determination in his eyes.

Jet nodded and closed his eyes, resting his weight on one foot and turning his head towards the floor. "No, you're the kind of guy that is a sorry tease, that's the kinda guy you are." He pushed past Sokka and wrenched the door open, charging through the locker room and leaving Sokka in the exam room with a stunned look on his face. He pushed the doors open into the gymnasium with more force than necessary and grabbed a basketball from one of the racks on the side of the floor.

The sound of the ball hitting, harshly, against the wooden floor echoed loudly off the walls of the empty gym. The ball hadn't hit the floor, maybe three times, before Coach Zhao came bursting into the gymnasium with an angry look on his face. "Who the hell is in this gymna- Oh, it's you, Jet." The man stopped his yelling and crossed over to the boy with a sinister smirk on his face. "What are you doing? You know I don't like kids messing around in here when it isn't class."

"Yeah, I know," Jet answered, pounding the ball into the floor several more times before lifting it into his hands and tossing it, effortlessly, into the basket from the three point line. He made no movement to retrieve the ball after it slid through the net, making an audible swoosh. He looked up at the Coach and raised one eyebrow at him. "I'm not just some kid though. I'm me. So... can I stay? I won't let anyone else in."

Coach Zhao nodded slowly and turned back towards his office. "Yeah, you can stay." He stopped as he reached the door and turned around, resting against the door frame with his arms crossed, watching as Jet tossed the ball at the basket, then ran after it, each time with growing intensity. Jet was slamming the ball harder against the floor with each dribble and his face was becoming increasingly angry with each basket he made. "Jet!" Zhao called out, drawing the boy's attention. "You wanna tell me what's going on? What has you so pissed off?"

Jet stood at the free throw line and kept his eyes focused on dribbling the ball, passing it between his hands with each bounce. "Not really. I don't wanna talk about it." He lifted the ball into his hands and made a smooth shot for the basket, growling loudly as it bounced off the rim and back towards him. He grabbed the ball from the air and threw it hard against the wall, shouting a line of nonsense profanities at the ball.

Coach Zhao shook his head and stood up straight, then cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly. "Something's bugging you, Jet. I'll give you some time to cool off, but when you get home from work tonight, we're gonna talk about this. That isn't a question either. I'm not letting you get as bad as last time." He turned and headed out of the gym, leaving Jet to himself.

Jet shook his head at his father's retreating form and jogged over to get the ball from under the bleachers, where it managed to wedge itself. He spent the rest of his free period in the gym, wearing out his anger on the orange stress reliever. By the time he had to go on to his next class, he was too tired to be angry anymore. He dug a clean shirt out of his gym locker, one of his unused uniform shirts, and changed into it, not wanting to smell like sweat for his next class.

As Jet walked into the music room, he huffed out a sharp breath through his nose, seeing Sokka standing with Professor Tho at the front of the room. The music room was a large space with a piano to one side and a door leading to a smaller room, which held a number of other instruments. There weren't any desks, just a scattering of chairs around the room to allow for easy rearranging. Jet wasn't fond of playing music, but taking Music Appreciation was a required course. Well, it was that or Home Economics, and Jet would rather be stuck making a lame attempt at playing a flute than be shoved into an apron and forced to bake.

He paid no attention to where he was choosing to sit, simply wanting to find a seat as far away from the one that Sokka had chosen as possible. He slunk back in his seat, covering his mouth with his hand and staring at Sokka as the boy sat chatting away with some red headed girl with braces and a bad case of the giggles. He narrowed his eyes and shoved his hand into his pocket, fishing out his small box of toothpicks. Just as he brought one to his lips, he heard a small snort of a laugh to his right.

Zuko smirked at Jet as he turned towards him, toothpick hanging from his lips. "Trouble in paradise, already?" he asked, snorting another laugh. "I knew it wouldn't take long for him to see through you." He shook his head and crossed his ankle over his knee, using his leg as a table for his notebook. He hunched over the book and started scribbling away.

Jet reached out and snagged the pen from Zuko's hand, throwing it across the room, childishly. He leaned close to Zuko and sneered at him, pulling the toothpick from between his teeth. "Why don't you write yourself a song about me, Zuko? You can call it 'the one you'll never have'," he said, pursing his lips in anger.

Zuko rolled his eyes at Jet and sighed as he reached into his bag and withdrew another pen. "More like 'the one I'll never want', Jet," he said, casually. "That was the problem, wasn't it. Little Jet couldn't handle rejection so he ditched his best friend. That's how I remember it, at least. Now, if you don't mind, you're in my light." He glared over at Jet and scooted a few seats down from him, returning to his writing.

Jet shook his head and scooted down to be next to Zuko once more. "I don't _get rejected_," he said, raising one eyebrow. "If I had actually wanted you, I would have gotten you. Straight or not, I still coulda had you. You just weren't worth the time, weren't worth the effort. Now him," he pointed over to Sokka and smiled, "he's worth the time. He's definitely worth the effort. It won't take much though, I'm sure he hasn't stopped thinking about our kiss." He smirked when Zuko whipped his head towards him with a shocked face. "Yeah, you heard right." He reached over and patted Zuko on the shoulder, laughing quietly, before standing up and walking over to Sokka.

"What's so funny?" Jet asked, smiling down at Sokka and the redhead. He shifted where he stood when Sokka looked up at him, clearly annoyed by his presence. "Can we talk? Just for a second. I just.... Well, I'm sorry, alright. I didn't mean to get so upset and I shouldn't have called you that, I was just hurt is all." He cut his eyes towards the girl and jerked his head, signaling for her to scram. He slipped into her seat, as she headed off, and brushed his fingers over Sokka's face, moving his hair away from it. "I really like you, Sokka. I just got so upset because I thought maybe you didn't really like me back."

Sokka swatted Jet's hand away from his face and shook his head. "That's such a load of crap, Jet." He gave a quiet laugh and put his foot on the ground, pushing his seat back a bit. "I might not be the smartest guy around, but I can spot a fake when I see one. I didn't catch it right away, mostly because you're hot and that was a little distracting, but I see you for what you really are now. You're a jerk. You're... a complete jerk. You think you're gonna come over here and lay down a little charm and end up getting me to roll over for you, but I'm not an idiot."

Jet ran his tongue over his teeth and shook his head. "I never said you were an idiot, Sokka. I know you aren't. I'm not feeding you some line or trying to charm you. I'm just apologizing and asking for the chance to start over with you. I can treat you really well, Sokka." He took the other boy's hand into his own and stared into his icy blue eyes. "If you just give me a chance, I think we could be great together."

Sokka smiled at Jet with a dreamy expression in his eyes and squeezed the boy's hand. "Is this the part where I fall into your arms and tell you how wonderful you are and that I would be a fool not to want you? That's what usually happens here, right? You look into someone eyes and hold their hand," he flung Jet's hand away from him, "and then they just snap under your oh so charming ways." He snorted a laugh and shook his head, running his tongue over his bottom lip. "Sorry, Jet, I'm not that easily swayed. I'm sure there are plenty of airheads that you can pitch that bull to, but I'm not one of them."

Jet stood up and stared down at Sokka with anger in his eyes. "No, maybe not, but I bet your sister is." With that, he turned away from Sokka and fell back into his seat near Zuko's, trying to ignore the sniggering coming from his former friend.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Okay, so my computer isn't actually fixed, but I have managed to find a way around the problem until it is. Thank goodness. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. If anyone is sneering over the Jet and Zhao situation, I have two letters for ya - AU. I didn't want everything identical to the show. Don't worry, there will be more info seen on the Zuko/Jet relationship of past. Let me know how you feel about Sokka and his ability to see through Jet. --Jenna**

**Also, I will probably close the poll soon, so get your choice in while you can. :D**


	7. Sugar Cookie Apologies

**Chapter 7: Sugar Cookie Apologies**

**.**

"Here's an apron. It'll keep you from spilling on your clothes."

Sokka looked up as Iroh handed him a brown apron bearing the tea shoppe's logo, a large green dragon curled around a tea cup using its fire to heat the underside. He took the apron with a smile and slipped it over his head, following Iroh into the back room as he tied the strings around himself. He had already received a small tour of the front of the shoppe, behind the counter and in the cooler, all that was left was the back room, where Sokka had actually followed Zuko the day before. Sokka had already learned that his duties would be cleaning up the tables after the customers left and washing dishes. He listened patiently as Iroh gave him instruction.

Once the older man was satisfied that Sokka understood the finer points of soap to water ratio and proper drying stacks, he led him through the correct way to prepare the table cleaning solution and showed him the towel rack. Sokka was thankful that everything was relatively simple to understand, because his mind was only half on the tasks he was being assigned. The other half was on the boy who watched him and Iroh move around the tea shoppe similar to the way one would stare at a hive of scorpion bees, waiting to see if they were dangerous enough to need action. Sokka would occasionally glance up at Zuko and the boy would turn his head away innocently, though there was no appearance of shame on his face at being caught staring.

An hour and a half after Sokka had arrived at his job, he was already hard at work preparing the dish water to clean up after the flood of customers who Iroh referred to as the 'we need this before our kids get out of school' crowd. He didn't glance back when he heard the door open, too focused on loading the cups into the hot water and unfolding a dish cloth. He didn't even notice Zuko until the boy reached around him to slide several more cups into the water. Sokka looked up at Zuko and gave him a bright smile, but was met with a blank face in return, just as he had expected.

Sokka cleared his throat and watched Zuko make his way back towards the door. "Wait," he said quickly, as the other boy started to step back into the main of the shoppe. When Zuko stopped and looked back, Sokka turned to face him fully, his eyes sparkling with success. "Knock, knock."

"What?" Zuko asked, raising his eyebrows in annoyance. "You did not just stop me to tell a knock, knock joke." He shook his head and looked at the floor, letting out a heavy sigh. When he cut his eyes back up at Sokka, it was clear the boy wasn't going to just give up on his joke. "Fine," he muttered. "Who's there?"

"Interrupting turtle duck," Sokka answered with a smirk.

Another sigh came from Zuko. "Interrupting turt-"

"Quack!"

Zuko stared at Sokka for a moment, his eyes wide, not even sure what to say in response. Slowly, very slowly, the corners of his mouth turned up and a wide smile crept across his face. He dropped his head in an effort to hide his amusement and licked over his lips. "Get back to work, Sokka," he said, his tone less harsh and cold than Sokka had ever heard it.

Sokka turned around and dipped his hands into the water to start on washing the cups, his own smile mirroring the one Zuko wore as he headed back into the tea shoppe. His shift was quiet after that, he didn't even see Zuko again for several hours and he was fairly sure that the boy was arranging it that way, for every time he went into the back or to the bathroom, he would return to find a bin full of dirty cups on the edge of the sink. He would wash them in silence, load them onto the drain rack and when they were dry, stack them onto a shelf.

Just after sunset, Zuko made an appearance. "Uncle says you can go now," he said as he leaned carelessly against the door frame, his eyes locked on the floor. "He said to tell you that you did a good job." His words sounded forced and uneasy, giving Sokka that all too familiar feeling of not being wanted in the room. He shifted awkwardly and gave what sounded like a fake cough. "So, when you're shipping tea over seas… it takes _oolong time_ if your boat is slow." He chewed on his bottom lip, refusing to look up.

Sokka laughed quietly and gave Zuko a crooked grin, though the boy wouldn't look up to see it. "Did you just tell a tea joke?" he asked, drying his hands on a towel.

Zuko coughed again and nodded. "Yeah, Uncle tells them a lot, I don't remember very many. They aren't that good, but um, neither… neither was your joke." He took a deep breath and folded his arms over his chest. "Good night, Sokka," he spat out quickly before turning and dashing up the stairs that Sokka had been previously informed led to the private apartment where Iroh and Zuko lived.

The sound of Katara's laugh brought Sokka back to attention. His face was laced with confusion as he stepped into the main part of the tea shoppe and glanced around. "What are you doing here?" he asked his sister, walking over to where Katara was standing with Iroh.

Katara gave her brother a soft smile and shrugged. "I just thought I'd come see how your job is going. I was only right across the street, figured we could walk back to Gran Gran's together when you're done." She twisted her hands in front of her and rolled onto the balls of her feet, looking innocent and carefree, a sign that Sokka instantly recognized as 'something is on my mind'. "When do you get off?" she asked, her voice light and calm.

"Now, actually," Sokka answered, untying his apron and folding it over his arm. "Let me go put this up and I'll be right back." He dashed back into the back room and tossed his apron into the hamper on the side wall near the towel racks. The distant sound of music caught his ear and pulled him towards the stairs that Zuko had ascended earlier. He put his foot on the bottom step and listened to the gentle strumming of a guitar. The rhythm became faster and louder until there was a distinctive _twang_ and the sound of several shouted profanities.

Footsteps. There were footsteps racing towards the door and Sokka bolted out of the back room just in time for Zuko to not catch him listening. Zuko came stomping through the room, passing by Katara, Sokka and Iroh, shrugging on his jacket and mumbling about 'broken string' and 'before they close'. Katara frowned at Zuko's retreating figure and folded her arms over her chest. Her mouth opened in a way that made it clear she was about to give her opinion on Zuko's attitude.

Sokka could feel his stomach turn and he reached out, clamping his hand around Katara's upper arm. "Let's go, Katara," he said before she could a word out. He nudged her towards the door and turned back to Iroh as they stepped into the cool night air. "See you tomorrow, Sir."

Katara allowed herself to be silently led towards the apartments, another clear sign that she had something on her mind, something that was big enough to make her ignore that she had missed the chance to lecture on proper behavior. Katara licked her lips and cut her eyes towards her brother with a face of uncertainty. "What do you think of Haru?" she asked, quietly.

Sokka shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "He's a pretty nice guy from what I've seen so far. He got on my nerves a bit at lunch today, but I can't really blame him for it now." They walked in silence for a bit before Sokka sighed, assuming that his sister wasn't going to tell him why she asked without a prodding. "He isn't my type if that's why you're asking."

"_No! That is not why I'm asking_," Katara said, her voice shrill and taking on a motherly tone to it. She took a deep breath and reached up, twirling her fingers around the pendant hanging from her neck. "I was asking because I think he might be a little interested in me."

"Why would you think that?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows at Katara. He stopped just down the walkway to their Gran Gran's apartment and pulled Katara to a stop as well. "Talk to me."

"Well…." Katara seemed nervous. She kept shifting her weight and chewing on the side of her nails of one hand while the other hand stayed locked on her necklace. "You know that place across the street from the tea shoppe, the Kyoshi Island Dojo? I was there with Suki, her parents own it. Well, we were there and she was showing me some self defense moves and Haru came in, apparently he goes there a lot, but he came in and he was flirting with me… I think. It felt like flirting."

"I thought he was with Joo Dee," Sokka said, frowning at his sister.

"I thought so too, but Suki says that they're just friends." Katara let out a long sigh and looked up into Sokka's eyes. "You think he's nice, though, right?"

Sokka nodded sincerely and twisted his face in thought. "Yeah, Haru seems nice, but I barely know him to be honest. You can't really know people when you've just met them. Just… be careful. Not just with him, either. You're smart… smart enough to know when a guy's bad news, right? Like… Jet."

"Jet? I thought you liked Jet." Katara was shocked for a moment before her face fell into a sympathetic smile. "I get it, he wasn't _that way _and now you're afraid that if I go with him, you'll be all jealous."

"That isn't wha-"

"This kinda thing wouldn't happen if you would just go with girls, you know? Like Suki, maybe." Katara frowned at the eye roll she received from her brother and grabbed onto his arm. "I'm serious. Suki is really nice. She's smart and pretty and she is in to all of that weird stuff that you are. She likes that racket you call music _and _she can skateboard. That doesn't interest you at all?"

Katara's eyes were so wide and hopeful that it made Sokka feel a little sick to his stomach. He shook his head and pulled his arm from Katara's grip with a frown on his face. "No, Katara, it doesn't interest me. _At all._ She sounds really great and I'm sure she would be a nice friend to have, but I am not interested in girls. This isn't some… phase, so just stop it already." He turned away from his sister's stunned face and headed into the apartment, passing by the kitchen without a second glance.

Katara followed closely behind Sokka and closed the door quietly behind them. When she stepped into the kitchen, her face immediately flushed with guilt at seeing that Sokka had passed by a kitchen that smelled so strongly of baking cookies, without a single word. She dropped her head to avoid looking into her Grandmother's accusatory glare. "I didn't mean to upset him," she whispered.

"I'm sure you didn't _mean_ to, Katara." The old woman pulled Katara into her arms and squeezed her around the shoulders, gently. "Do you wanna tell me what happened?"

"Not really," Katara answered, taking the sugar cookie that Gran Gran passed to her. "We were just talking about this guy that I think might like me and it got dodgy."

Before the old woman could respond, Sokka appeared in the kitchen wearing a bring grin. "Those smell good, Gran Gran," he said, crossing over to the counter where a large tray of sugar cookies rested. He picked up three into his hand and crammed one between his teeth, attempting to say 'thank you' through his full mouth, before heading back down the hallway to the bedroom.

"Shoulda known. Nothing keeps Sokka from a cookie," Katara said with a laugh. She picked up several cookies and carried them back to the bedroom. She pushed into the room silently and laid the cookies on Sokka's desk before grabbing her night clothes and heading to the bathroom.

No words were exchanged, but when Katara saw that the cookies were gone from her brother's desk when she returned, she took that to mean 'apology accepted'. With a smile on her face, she climbed onto her bed and pulled open her back pack to start in on her homework, hoping to herself that Sokka didn't get the urge to put on any music. She could feel her head start to ache as she worked over the same Algebra problem three times, getting different answers with each try. She tapped her pencil on her book and gave a loud sigh. After a moment, she let out a groan and shifted on the bed. Another moment went by and she whined at her book, slammed it shut and flopped back on the bed.

"Katara, if you want my help with something, just ask," Sokka sighed, peeking around the room divider to see Katara now sitting up in bed with a grin on her face. "What is it?" He looked down at the book that was receiving abuse and smirked. "Alright, show me the problem."

* * *

**A Note From the Author: I don't feel so well, so I can't really think of anything clever to put in these notes. Just let me know what you think of the chapter and such. Updates might be a bit slower on this story than the others. Hopefully not. I think my muse is being lazy. He gets that way sometimes. --Jenna**


	8. A Pebble in the Water

**Chapter 8: A Pebble in the Water**

**.**

_"That was the third time I had told her that I wasn't going to buy the dang cookies. I finally just settled for putting her head into -"_

"She isn't funny," Katara said, pointedly as she punched the power button on Sokka's stereo, instantly silencing The Blind Bandit in mid sentence. "She's crude and kinda gross. I can't believe that anyone would listen to that." She rolled her eyes and smoothed her hands through her hair, glaring at Sokka in a 'dare you to argue' manner.

Sokka sighed. To sigh was better than to argue and he _had_ promised his Gran Gran that he would try to get along more with his sister. "I think she's funny," he muttered, though he made no attempt at turning the radio back on. He stared hard into the full length mirror that was new to the bedroom, and tilted his head, frowning at his reflection. He tugged at a strand of hair near his face that was insisting on curling upwards in the most unusual fashion. "Do you have any gel?" he asked, looking back for Katara, then huffed, seeing that the girl had already crept from the room without him hearing. He shrugged, took her gel and repaired the unsightly section of hair.

"Are you working today?" Katara called, loudly from the doorway, making Sokka flinch and drop her hair gel onto the floor. "Sokka," she whined, seeing her bottle on the ground. "You coulda asked."

"I did. You weren't in here." Sokka gave his sister a crooked grin and picked up the gel, making sure the bottle wasn't damaged before putting it back into place. "Yeah, I am working today. The Dragon is having this poetry reading thing today. Apparently they do it every Saturday morning. It's gonna be busy."

Saturday morning. The last three days had been, not uneventful, but not very interesting. For Sokka it was a blur of attempts to catch up with lessons and some rather awkward staring matches with Jet. The boy hadn't spoken to him since the day in the music room, but every so often, Sokka would catch Jet opening his mouth, making an obvious reconsideration and closing it back without a word. Literature class was the worst for it. Sokka would find himself staring at the back of the boy's head until Jet would turn around, raise one eyebrow and purse his lips over his toothpick, making Sokka instantly look at his desk. When it came to his other classes, well, History, was bad. It wouldn't have been so bad had Haru not felt the need to ask a constant flood of questions about his sister every time there was a pause in the lecture, making Sokka wish he had opted to take the desk in the back on the first day.

Gym, was worse. Between the sneers from Coach Zhao and the '_much too hard and it can't be considered an accident after the tenth time_' basketball passes from Jet, Sokka was miserable. He couldn't even get an answer as to why Zuko didn't have to change for class or even show up on time without so much as a word from the Coach. Calculus would have been better, had he not spent the period growing increasingly annoyed with the silence from Longshot, who had a way of saying more with twist of the lips than some people say in ten minutes of talking. Even lunch, typically his favorite time of day, was a gut check of failure for him. He had made an attempt to sit with Zuko on Wednesday. The cold stare was enough to keep that attempt from being repeated. So he consigned himself to sit and watch Haru flirt with his sister, listen to Suki talk about skateboarding and music and suffer through the occasional squealed conversation between Katara and Jin.

Thursday morning he had tried to play the fake sick card. Failed. Went to school. Chemistry, oddly enough, wasn't as bad as he had imagined it would be. Despite the fact that it was obviously his turn to feel eyes on the back of his head, the class went fairly smooth. Zuko had even said two words to him. It was progress. Had the words not been, "Shut up," and accompanied by an eye roll, it would have been even bigger progress. Art, was weird. His free period, was boring. Music Appreciation, was uncomfortable, to say the least. The only thing that kept Sokka pushing forward was the knowledge that he would be going to The Jasmine Dragon after school each day. Though Zuko had resumed his '_cold stare and quiet_' demeanor with Sokka, which was making the boy question whether perhaps the tea joke had been in his imagination, work was still pleasant. Iroh was friendly and seemed to be just as chatty as Sokka was, not to mention the man laughed at each one of Sokka's jokes. In general, Sokka just liked to keep busy and at the tea shoppe, he was in fact, keeping busy.

Katara, on the other hand, had been having a fantastic week. Her teachers adored her, Jin was practically transforming into her, Suki was teaching her how to defend herself and Haru was charming her to the point of giggles and eyelash batting. She couldn't figure out why her brother wasn't as thrilled about the move as she now was. She had even managed to get herself job. Starting Monday after school, she would be working at Hama's Inn, a local bed and breakfast at the edge of town, three times a week. She had found herself in such a great mood Saturday morning, she even agreed to go to the Si Wong Farmers' Market with Gran Gran, rather than into Ba Sing Se to hit the mall with Jin.

"Poetry reading? That sounds nice." Katara nodded mindlessly towards Sokka and tucked one of the hanging strands of hair behind her ear. "Jin and Suki are coming over for dinner tonight," she said, giving Sokka a weak smile. "They're spending the night and I was wondering if...well, can we have the room alone? Girl talk and such. You wouldn't want to be in here for that anyways and we wante-"

Sokka silenced his sister by putting his hand in the air and waving it towards her. "Say no more. You had me out at _girl talk_. I'll sleep on the couch. Just...stay off of my bed." He raised his eyebrows in a teasingly threatening way and tugged at the hem of his light blue tee-shirt, pulling it down over the pockets of his black jeans. "I gotta go, don't wanna be late. I'm serious about the bed thing," he called out as he slipped on a light jacket and dashed out of the room.

Not only was Sokka not late, he was fifteen minutes early for his shift. Iroh greeted him with the same friendly and fatherly hug that he had every other afternoon, and handed him his apron. "Sokka, would you mind going up and getting Zuko. The group should be here soon and I want to have everything ready?" Iroh asked, patting Sokka on the back as the boy nodded and pulled on his apron.

He could hear the music from the bottom of the stairs. It was a slow, steady strum, the same rhythm he had overheard before. He put a tentative foot on the bottom step and then followed with another on the step above it. The strumming seemed to grow faster with each slow and hesitant step that Sokka took towards the door at the top of the stairs. As he reached the top, he lifted his fist to knock. Even a split second sooner and he wouldn't have heard it. There was singing.

"_A pebble in the water...a pebble in the water...._"

Silence. The music stopped, the singing stopped. Sokka raised his hand again, but the music started once more.

_"A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect.... Every action in this world will bear a...._"

More silence. Sokka was starting to feel as though he were invading Zuko's privacy. The boy hadn't invited him to listen and this was making Sokka's stomach knot, but he couldn't pull himself away the door. He took a deep breath and stayed quiet, waiting. After a moment, the quick paced strumming began again and Zuko's voice could be heard clearly. It held the kind of passion that made Sokka shudder, in the good way.

"_A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect.... Every action in this world will bear a consequence.... If you wade around forever you will surely drown.... I see what's going down...._"

Sokka couldn't stand it any longer. The guilt at being so nosy was already eating into him. He quickly and quietly slipped to the bottom of the stairs, then bounded back up them, making as much noise as he could muster, pounding his foot into each step. It worked. By the time he reached the door once more, Zuko had already pulled it open and was standing there with a wide eyed and stern look on his face.

"Your Uncle wanted me to come get you." Sokka gave the other boy a bright smile and was met with a glare in return. "He did. He said for me to -"

"I'll be down in a second." With that, Zuko slammed the door back, leaving Sokka to stare at it with disbelief.

A heavy sigh and a hung head accompanied the boy back down the stairs and into the kitchen. He stayed quiet, as much as Sokka could possibly stay quiet, as he finished his shift. The poetry reading had apparently gone quite well, though Sokka didn't peek out to watch it, feeling as though he should give Zuko the space he so obviously wanted. He was drying his hands and tossing his apron into the laundry when Zuko brushed past him towards the steps. Sokka took a deep breath and reached out, grabbing Zuko by his arm before the boy was out of reach.

"What did I do?" Sokka asked, giving an exasperated sigh and pleading with Zuko through his eyes. "I don't understand you. First, you act like I'm covered in cabbage slug slime, then you get all...tea jokey on me, then it is right back to the cold shoulder. I don't understand."

Zuko snorted quietly and pulled his arm from Sokka's grip. "If you don't understand, that isn't my problem. I don't' understand you either, so I guess we're even." He narrowed his eyes and flicked his head to the side, sending his hair out of his eyes. "Just...go home." He shook his head and turned away from Sokka, but didn't get too far before the boy was in front of him again.

"You don't understand me?" Sokka cried out, a look of genuine confusion glued to his features. "What is to _not_ understand?"

Zuko rolled his eyes and tried to step around Sokka, but the boy caught him around the chest, refusing to let him pass. "You'll just think it's stupid, alright. Drop it." The hard look in Sokka's eyes made it very clear that Sokka was indeed _not_ going to be dropping _anything_. Zuko sighed and pulled his hand back through the side of his hair. "Look, you show up and you're all _look at me, I'm Sokka_ and everyone is all excited over the new kid and I'm the only one not staring at you like you have a second head and you feel the need to...badger me. You-you run around with Jet and you hear the way he talks about me and don't even bother saying he didn't talk about me, and then you expect me to talk to you also. That is crazy enough on it's own, then you have like a fleeting moment of sanity where you tell the jerk to buzz off and then your stupid turtle duck joke and it _wasn't even funny _and then I think maybe...just maybe...." At this point, Zuko's hands were shaking and his voice had reached the point where he could barely could be understood, for everything he had said had been done so in one breath.

"Maybe what?" Sokka prodded, refusing to let it end there.

Zuko took a long and deep breath and shook his head at Sokka. "I thought maybe...you weren't such a bad guy."

"I'm not a bad guy! I never said _look at me, I'm Sokka_ and yes, he did say some things about you, but nothing that was too...bad, I guess. I don't know what I did wrong between my joke, _which was very funny_, and now." Sokka stared at Zuko with annoyance, feeling the frustration build in him to a level that he had only ever felt with his sister.

"You didn't do anything..._wrong_. I just...I don't...I can't stand...." Zuko let out an angry growl and threw his hands into the air. "Maybe I should write it on the back of Jet's head and then you'd figure it out! You spend enough time staring at it!"

Sokka opened his mouth in horror, his eyes narrowing. Zuko pushed his hands into his hair and turned away from the other boy, quickly dashing back up the stairs towards the apartment. Sokka made a loud protesting sound and bolted up right behind Zuko, reaching the door just before Zuko could close it. He pushed his foot into the opening and held the door open just enough to glimpse Zuko. Zuko pushed against it, but despite his annoyance, he wasn't looking to make Sokka fall back down the stairs, so he pulled it back open just slightly and put his hand up on the door frame, staring at the other boy with cold eyes.

"Would you get out of here. Go home. Your shift is over." Zuko kicked at Sokka's foot and tried to move it from blocking the doorway.

"No! Not until you explain that. I do not _stare _at the back of anyone's head. I-I can't help it if...he sits in front of me...and-and...that isn't _my_ fault." Sokka shook his head and grabbed onto the door frame, just below Zuko's hand, to steady himself in the doorway. "What do you care anyway? You ignore me and tell me to shut up and call my jokes lame and glare at me and.... You act so cold." He gritted his teeth in anger at the boy and stamped his foot slightly when Zuko refused to look up at him.

"I don't care," Zuko insisted, keeping his eyes locked onto Sokka's foot, which he was still trying to scoot out of the doorway with his own. "I don't give a shit who you're friends with or stare at or any of that. You're free," he kicked more harshly at Sokka's foot, knocking it from the doorway, "to do anything you please."

Sokka shoved his body into the opening of the doorway, to make up for his lost footing, and stared at Zuko with apologetic eyes. "I'm not trying to upset you," he whispered, scooting his hand up the door frame just enough to brush his fingertips over Zuko's knuckles.

Zuko jerked his hand away from the door frame and scowled at Sokka. "Don't. Touch. Me."

The tone in Zuko's voice made Sokka drop his hand and step out of the doorway. He sighed quietly as the door slammed closed and the distinct sound of a turning lock echoed through the tiny stairwell.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Virtual cookies and milk for anyone who can guess what song Zuko is working on. Don't worry if you aren't sure, I will announce it and put up a link on my Profile before he actually sings it full through. :D Leave me some opinions. --Jenna**


	9. Of Cabbages & Confusion

**Chapter 9: Of Cabbages & Confusion**

**.**

Katara gave a small snort of a laugh as her brother dashed from the bedroom with one last warning about staying off of his bed, then took up the spot occupied by him in front of the mirror. The girl smiled at her reflection and smoothed her hands over her ponytail, pushing into place the few stray hairs that were creeping upwards. She had her typical two strands hanging down by her face, which she assured were tucked just right behind her ears. Her tight fitting, orchid blouse was smooth and wrinkle free, tucked properly into her khaki colored slacks, which rested just above her light brown sandals. She had wanted to wear her skirt, but Gran Gran convinced her that it wasn't the best of ideas. Of course, her mother's necklace hung around her neck.

Within the hour, Jin had arrived, wearing a tight fitting, spring green blouse over a knee length white skirt, her hair pulled up into a smooth ponytail. "Thank you so much for allowing me to come with you, Ma'am," she said sweetly, flashing a shy smile to Kanna.

"No need to call me Ma'am," Kanna answered. "You can call me Gran Gran or just Kanna, and I'm glad that you girls are coming along today." The old woman gave both Jin and Katara an excited grin and shooed them out the door so they get to the farmers' market. "You girls be sure and stay close to me while we're there. It's a crowded place on Saturdays and I don't need any lost girls on my hands."

Gran Gran Kanna hadn't been kidding when she said that the Si Wong Farmers' Market was a crowded place on Saturday. Katara and Jin followed close behind the old woman, refusing to let go of her bag strap as they pushed through a tight packing of people to get through the entry way to the large, gated land that held a large number of booths and stalls. Though it was a farmers' market, the farming stalls were actually not the majority. There were many stands and carts selling various fruits and vegetables, all grown by the people that were selling them. They all seemed to be stuffed into one corner of the land, the air around them so heavy with the sweet smell of fresh picked strawberries and melons, even a blindfolded man could find his way to the section.

The remainder of the Farmers' Market held a variety of booths selling sandwiches, fruit pies, dumplings, clothes, books, music, toys and furniture. There were even several scatterings of booths all pushing their various religious, environmental and political views. By the time Gran Gran, Katara and Jin made it to the back corner to peruse the farm stands, Katara was already holding twelve pamphlets, pushing everything between '_Save the Platypus Bear_' to '_Re-Elect Senator Ozai_', for the girl just simply couldn't say 'no' to anyone stuffing one into her hands. She flipped through them, reading at a few of the more interesting looking ones, as the old woman haggled with a cabbage merchant over the price increase he had apparently had since the month before.

Jin had just handed Katara back her pamphlet about '_Protect the Foggy Swamp_' when a loud crash erupted from behind them, causing the girls to spin around and stare wide eyed at the sight before them. The cabbage merchant was turned on his back side, his shirt flapping above his head as he waved his arms in a struggle to get off of the ground, his cabbage cart was now tipped to the side, for one of the wheels was split in two, and all of his cabbages were rolling out onto the ground. The small crowd near his cart scooted away, not wanting to step on the man's product, or perhaps simply not wanting to help.

"My cabbages!" the merchant screamed as he managed to get onto his feet and see his product now covered in dirt.

Katara and Jin dove to the ground, desperately trying to gather up the cabbages heads as they rolled around. With the cart broken, the girls were limited in the amount of good they could actually do and had to settle for making a cabbage pyramid behind it.

"I'm so sorry!" A young boy, who appeared to be a bit younger than the girls, came scooting into view. He was short and quite pale, his head cleanly shaved to the scalp where he was marked with a large, downward pointing, light blue arrow tattoo. His clothes were a loose fitting pair of pale brown pants, which gave off the distinct impression of having been handmade, as did his chocolatey orange shirt that came together in the front with a large tie made of the same material his pants were. One hand was clutched around a thin wooden staff that stood taller than the boy did, revealing the same light blue arrow tattoos which reached the knuckles of both hands. His large blue eyes shimmered with a childlike innocence as he stared down at the broken cart wheel.

"You again!" the cabbage merchant screamed, glaring coldly at the young boy. "I thought they weren't allowing you to come back after what happened last time."

"Hey! He said he was sorry," Katara snapped, feeling uneasy at the clearly broken expression on the boy's face and the cruel tone to the merchant's voice. She felt a hand close around her arm and pull her back, then a shushing sound in her ear. "I won't shush," she spat at Jin, pulling form the girl's grip. "He said that he was sorry, it isn't right to yell at him like that in front of this crowd." She pointed to the circle of onlookers, most of which suddenly realized they had elsewhere to be and dipped their heads in shame as they moved along from the scene.

"You stay out of this, little girl," the merchant spat towards Katara. "You don't know the half of it. Every time they bring this one along," he started, wagging his finger towards the offending boy, "something happens. Last time he nearly cost me my entire load with that stick of his."

"We paid for it," the boy, defended. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was silenced by a heavy hand on his shoulder from a tall, thin man who looked around Gran Gran's age.

The man was old, but carried himself with a youthful and healthy stature, not slouching in the slightest. His head was clean shaven and revealed the same arrow tattoos as the young boy, as did his hands, only he also had a long, white hanging mustache that reached past his chin. His blue eyes were heavily lidded and his entire face was deeply wrinkled. He was draped in a heavy robe of the same orange cloth that the boy wore for a shirt and held a large, wooden set of beads around his neck, a pendant hanging from it bearing a symbol of three swirled lines.

"Gyatso, I told you that boy is a menace. You said that you weren't going to bring him back. Do you see what he has done?" the cabbage merchant demanded, pointing flamboyantly to his broken wheel and damaged produce. "I told you if he came back I would file a complaint. I want that booth of yours moved. Far, _far_, away from my cart."

Gyatso, the old man, held his hand up to silence the irate merchant, and calmly passed his eyes over the damage. "Aang, did you say you were sorry?" he asked, turning to the young boy.

Aang nodded fiercely and looked towards Katara as though he were asking her to back him up, prompting her to begin nodding as well. "I did say sorry. I didn't mean to. It was an accident. I was trying to show Kuzon my marble trick and I dropped one, then when I went to get it, I backed into the stand and th-"

"It's alright, Aang, you don't have to explain. I know it was an accident. You may go back to the others, I will handle things here." Gyatso pat the boy on the shoulder and waited for him to run off towards the direction he had came from before digging into his robes and producing a wallet. "How much do I owe you?" he asked the merchant.

Katara didn't hear how much the man owned the merchant, for Gran Gran was quickly hurrying her and Jin away, muttering about 'not our business'. The old woman returned to her shopping, occasionally pushing a container of strawberries or a bundle of carrots into one of the cloth bags draped over Jin and Katara's arms. Katara soon realized why Gran Gran had warned her not to wear a skirt, as Jin, having her hands full, was finding it difficult to keep the wind from blowing her's up in the back. As the three all found themselves growing hungry, they took a seat outside of a small noodle vendor who had a covered awning over several tables.

"Oh no, Katara, that boy is heading over here," Jin whispered, throwing a glance towards Gran Gran Kanna, who stood in line to order their noodles, then looking back behind Katara.

"What boy?" Katara turned around just in time to see Aang step up behind her, a wide smile stretching across his boyish face. "Oh! Hello. Aang, right?"

Aang nodded and twisted his hands nervously over the staff clutched in them. "I wanted to say thank you. For trying to stick up for me back there, I mean. It was really nice of you." The boy's cheeks were soon graced with the tiniest amount of red and he hung his head towards the ground.

"You don't have to thank me. I was just trying to do the right thing," Katara answered, smiling back at the boy though he wasn't looking at her. She narrowed her eyes in confusion at the wide eyed and worried look on Jin's face as she stared at Aang. "I'm Katara," she continued.

"It's nice to meet you, Katara." Aang looked back up, his smile even wider than before. "So do you live around here? I haven't seen you at the market before."

The reappearance of Gyatso put an end to Katara's answer before she even started it. She gave Aang a small wave as the man ushered the boy away, then turned back to Jin with a bit of annoyance written over face. "What is wrong with you? That boy was nice and you're staring at him like he's covered in cabbage slug slime."

"Look, that boy is one of the...commune kids." Jin looked back over her shoulders as though she were speaking of a secret mission, then leaned towards Katara and started whispering. "They all dress exactly like that boy was and they live on this big space of land where they have their own school, their own church, they grow their own food there too. They call it the Air Temple."

Katara raised her eyebrows at Jin and made a scoffing sound that made it clear she wasn't believing everything she was hearing.

Jin pursed her lips and shook her head slightly, then leaned back in her chair. She didn't speak again until the old woman sat back down at the table, handing both girls a bowl of noodles. "Ma'am, I mean Gran Gran Kanna, ma'am, sorry...I just... Would you tell Katara where that boy is from the broke the merchant's cart?"

Kanna stared at Jin as though she was being quite random, not having been privy to the conversation. "Um, sure...he's from the Air Temple Commune. You know that road we came in on?" she asked, waiting for Katara to nod before continuing. "You keep going that way and their land is right before you get to Chin Village. You passed by it when Bato brought you to my apartment, but you probably didn't see it in the dark." She gave a small shrug and started in on her noodles, ignoring the look of increased confusion on her granddaughter's face.

"Why do they call it the _Air Temple_?" Katara asked, shifting in her seat. It wasn't every day that the girl was on the receiving end of an I-told-you-so and she wasn't liking it one bit.

"I don't know, dear. I'm not part of their religion. It's a pity though. They are such nice people, never cause anyone anyone any trouble bu-"

"'Cept that cabbage merchant," Jin interjected, quickly looking down at her noodles.

"They don't usually cause trouble," Gran Gran corrected. "If Ozai gets re-elected, they're gonna be sent off their land. He's got it in his campaign promise that he's going to make them move so that they can build some sort of superstore there. If you ask me, we don't need some big chain place coming in here and taking away all of the business of the local, hard working establishments. Especially if it means kicking an entire commune out of their home. They have lived there for a good hundred years now. It's really sad."

"Well, he can't just kick them out!" Katara cried out. "Can he? I mean Senator or not, he can't just go in and tell them they don't own their own land anymore. As long as they pay their taxes and aren't doing anything illegal, he can't just...take it away."

Kanna merely shrugged her shoulders and kept her eyes down. "I don't know, dear."

"Why do you even care?" Jin asked, staring at Katara with her lips twisted in confusion. "You just heard about it and you're getting all worked up. You've only lived around here for a few weeks, you don't really understand how things work. Have you even been to Chin Village? Why don't you go up there and listen to some of them tell you how they feel about the commune. You won't feel the same after that, I'm sure of it."

A weighted silence fell over the table as the three finished their lunch. An unspoken argument hung on the tips of each of their tongues, though none of them let the words fall.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Okay, I'm sure most of you knew that Aang was going to show up the moment I said 'cabbage merchant' but I hope you enjoyed seeing him. This won't be the last you see or hear of Aang and the commune. I know it might have been a bit cliche, but I always loved the cabbage merchant scenes so much! Leave me some thoughts. Sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to the reviews last time. Thank you all. -Jenna**


	10. Okay

**Chapter 10: Okay**

**.**

Sokka had stood at the top of the stairwell, staring at the closed door before him for a few minutes before he shook his head and turned away from it. The staircase at the back of the Jasmine Dragon, the one leading up to Iroh and Zuko's private apartment, was now the single place that Sokka hated most in the world, so he thought as he hit the bottom step with a loud groan. He never wanted to be back on that staircase again, never wanted to stare at that door again. He reached up and drug his hands back roughly through his dark brown hair and tugged at the strands in frustration. His eyes stayed locked on the floor as he moved through the back room and out into the main of the tea shoppe.

"Sokka, I thought you'd gone already," came Iroh's voice as the boy crossed in front of the counter.

"I'm leaving now," Sokka answered back without looking towards the man. "I'll see you tomorrow." He gave a weak wave behind him as he pushed open the door and stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the shoppe.

The boy stuffed his hands into his pockets and allowed the argument, if you could call it that, with Zuko to replay over and over in his mind as he walked back to the apartments. His thoughts instantly snapped to as he stepped inside the apartment and was met with the sweet scent of simmering food. His stomach gave a loud growl at the teasing aroma and Sokka's feet carried him into the kitchen without his brain needing to instruct them to. He expected to see someone over the stove, tending to what was scenting the entire apartment, what he didn't expect was for it to be Pakku.

Twenty awkward minutes, a few un-laughed-at jokes and three large bowls of vegetable soup later, Sokka was pushing away from the table with a smile on his face. "That was fantastic, Pakku. I didn't even know that you could cook. Well, cook like that I mean. Hands down the best soup I've ever had." Sokka gave the old man a large grin as he carried his bowl over to the sink and rinsed it out. "Just don't tell Gram Gram I said that," he added with a laugh.

"Kanna says the same thing, so I doubt she'd mind," Pakku answered, smiling back at the boy as he finished ladling the remainder of the soup into a large storage bowl. "I'm glad you liked it, Sokka." He slid the bowl into the refrigerator and looked at the boy over the top of the door. "What are you doing with the rest of the day?"

Sokka wasn't sure what to make of the tone in Pakku's voice. The man's words had seemed almost hesitant, as though he was afraid of what the answer would be. With a crooked grin on his face, Sokka shrugged his shoulders and darted his eyes towards the front door. "I had thought about going to the skate park I heard about. I can...stay if you'd like."

"No! No, no, you go on," Pakku said, waving his hand towards Sokka in a careless manner. "I have quite a bit to do today still. I just didn't want to leave you alone if you were going to sit around without any plans. You go and do your skating...thing."

Sokka nodded to the old man and hurried into the bedroom to collect his board. He dove to his knees beside his bed and reached underneath it, his hand coming back out clutched around his skateboard. The heavy board felt good in his hands, as he hadn't been on it since moving in with his Grandmother. His hand brushed over the icy blue board, half covered in worn stickers and a faded phone number from the boy who had sold Sokka the board. He would never admit that he had intended to buy the red one until the shop boy fawned about how this one matched his eyes so fittingly. A slight smirk came to his lips as he rolled his fingers over one of the almost new wheels. Though they had been a Christmas gift from Bato, he hadn't actually put them on the board until late January. The blue eyed boy hugged his skateboard to his chest and darted from the room, eager to get back on it.

The Serpent's Pass Skate Park was everything that Sokka hoped it would be. As he neared the entrance gate, the smell of sweat and stale nachos hit him like a tidal wave, making him smile brightly and walk a bit faster. The park was filled with the sounds of boards rubbing against metal, helmets dragging over concrete and the excited squeals of onlookers. The boy's eyes were still absorbing what the place had to offer in the way of ramps and half pipes when he felt a hand close around his shoulder.

"I was hoping I'd see you out here sometime," Jet said as he dropped his hand from Sokka's shoulder and pulled a toothpick from between his lips. The cold stare he received from Sokka made Jet sigh loudly and shake his head. "Honestly, I thought you'd be over your little fit by now."

"I didn't have a fit," Sokka hissed as he started to turn away from Jet. When the boy's hand closed in his own, causing him to spin back around and face him, Sokka rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Jet?" he asked, pulling his hand free. "I'm not interested."

Jet snorted a tiny laugh and shoved his hands down into his pockets. "Why? Because...because I got upset? Because I said something stupid and mean in the heat of the moment. I was mad and I...shouldn't have said what I did but I wa-"

"You laughed at me."

Jet stood speechless at the words that had just left Sokka's mouth. "I..._laughed_...at you? Are you fucking serious? You're pissed at me because I laughed at you?"

"I don't like having my choices laughed at, especially when they are the right choices," Sokka answered, dropping his eyes to the ground in front of him.

"I didn't _mean_ to laugh at you about it, I just... I don't know. I'm sorry." Jet held out his hands and slapped them back against this legs, unable to think of anything else to say.

Sokka nodded slowly and pushed his hair back out of his eyes, though it didn't much matter for the strands fell right back into place. "Okay. See you around," he muttered, trying once more to walk away from Jet.

"See you around?" Jet parroted, moving in front of Sokka with an exasperated look on his face. "That's it? You're blowing me off...completely? You don't even want to hang out?"

"I don't know," Sokka said, his words jumbled together, as he gave a small shrug and licked over his lips. "I don't think we should. I guess, I don't know. I just don't know, okay?"

"No, not _okay_. I said that I was sor- Is this about Zuko?" Jet's tone suddenly went cold and flat in the middle of his words. He reached out and brushed his fingers under Sokka's chin, making the boy look up at him. "You don't want to be around me because of him. I'm right, aren't I?"

Sokka pushed Jet's hand away and shook his head. "This has nothing to do with...anyone. I just don't know. Haven't you ever not known something? Look, just leave me out of this, okay. It's like I can't be around either one of you without having to hear about the other. I just came to skate, I didn't come to get involved in your little drama." He held up his board as though he were reminding Jet of his purpose there and made another attempt at walking away.

"He talks about me?" Jet asked, putting his hand flat against Sokka's chest to stop him from walking away. "You just said it, so don't try to lie."

"I wasn't going to."

"What does he...say about me?" Jet asked, running his tongue over the front of his teeth and sliding his tooth pick back between them. "He tell you to stay away from me? Tell you that you shouldn't hang with me? He told you what happened, didn't he? That's why you don't want to be around me."

"He didn't say anything about anything. Just stop, alright, please." Sokka let out a loud breath, followed by an annoyed growl. "He's just made it kinda clear that you two don't get along and that you can't _share_ friends."

"Share friends? So he said that you can't be friends with both of us? And you're choosing him?" Jet scoffed loudly and bit down on his toothpick so hard that Sokka could hear it snap between the boy's teeth.

"I'm not _choosing _him. He didn't say it like that. He doesn't even _want_ to be my friend so stop jumping to conclusions and twisting my words around." Sokka drug his hand through his hair and stared up into the distance as he tried to sort out his thoughts.

"Then why the hell can't you hang out with me? I've said sorry, I know that you know you over reacted in the first place and this is just insane. If he told you what happened then the least you could do is give me a chance to defend myself." Jet tossed his broken toothpick onto the ground with more force than necessary and narrowed his eyes at the other boy. "You're hearing one side of the story and that isn't fair, Sokka."

"That isn't fair, Sokka?" Sokka repeated, rolling his eyes at Jet. "I don't give a crud about _your _side of the story and I haven't even _heard_ his side of the story. I didn't even know there _was_ a story until you just started talking about it. So just shut up, already. Whatever happened to make you two act like total jerks isn't my business and I don't want to make it my business."

Jet opened his mouth to speak several times, closing back each without saying a word. "Okay," he said, simply.

"Okay," Sokka repeated, mimicking the other boy's tone.

"Okay," Jet said again, pushing his hands back into his pockets and pulling out his toothpick box.

"If you say okay again, I'm gonna smack you with my board," Sokka said, laughing quietly.

Jet looked up at Sokka, a crooked grin stretching across his face. "You're making idle threats of physical harm while laughing, that means you _have to_ be my friend now." He ran the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip and let out a small laugh. "_Okay_," he added, quickly dodging the playful swing of Sokka's skateboard towards his shoulder. "Watch it, they'll get you for assaulting the employees," Jet said, pushing Sokka on the shoulder and grinning.

"Employee? You work _here_?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows and looking around in awe.

"Sure do, and...my break is over. Have fun peddling that tea though," Jet said, laughing a bit cruelly as he waved to Sokka and hurried back over towards the snack stand.

"_Have fun peddling that tea_," Sokka mocked in a prissy tone, rolling his eyes in the direction Jet had gone. "Jerk," he muttered, though his lips betrayed him with a smile.

Three hours passed before Sokka poured himself into a chair at one of the tables sitting in front of the snack stand at the skate park. He held a bottle of water tightly between his hands and laid his head onto the table, scolding himself for not drinking anything sooner. A shiver ran down his spine as a chilled breeze hit against his sweat soaked back. He swallowed back half of his water in one time and let the bottle drop back onto the table.

"You looked good out there," Jet said as he slipped into the seat beside Sokka with a bottle of water and a plate piled high with nachos. "Not near as good as I am, but good." He laughed quietly and stuck his tongue out at Sokka when the boy pretended to have been offended. "You want one of these?" he asked, shoving a cheese covered chip into his mouth.

"They look disgusting," Sokka answered, lifting up one of the chips.

"They are disgusting," Jet answered, giving the other boy a cheesy grin.

Sokka was inclined to agree as the slightly cold, over salty cheese slid over his tongue just before he bit into the stale, soggy and again, over salty chip. "You're right, that is gross," he said with a laugh, though the agreeing boys had no problem polishing off the nachos in record time.

"So, are we cool?" Jet asked, tipping up his drink and staring at Sokka.

Sokka took a slow breath and gave the other boy a small shrug. "That depends, are you actually going to try to put the moves on my sister?"

"Absolutely," Jet answered with a laugh. "Don't look at me like that. You don't want me and your sister is hot."

"My sister is _not_ hot," Sokka argued, grimacing at the other boy.

Jet raised one eyebrow at Sokka and snorted a laugh. "You don't think any girl is hot."

"No I don't think any girl is hot, especially if that girl is my sister."

"Well, she isn't my sister and I say that she's hot." Jet leaned back in his seat, tipping it up onto its back legs and using his foot to keep him balanced. "If you don't want me to hit on your sister, then I won't," he said, his voice filled with a sincere tone. "Friends don't hit on friend's sisters." He gave Sokka a crooked smile and dropped his chair back into place.

"I don't want you to. Besides, she's got a thing for Haru," Sokka said, rolling his eyes at the thought. "I gotta get home," he finally said, after a few minutes of silence.

"Can I walk with you?" Jet asked, standing up as Sokka did.

Sokka pursed his lips in thought and poked at his lip ring with the tip of his tongue. "Yeah, okay," he muttered, smirking as Jet sprang into action to throw away the empty plate. He frowned at the ground as he picked up his skateboard from beside his seat. Something wasn't sitting quite right in the pit of the boy's stomach, and it wasn't just the nachos.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: So this is the part where half of you start saying "No! Go away Jet." and the other half start saying "Yay! More Jet." :D SO what do you think? Is the something not sitting right because of Jet or is the way that Zuko treated Sokka making him act strange. More to come and YES we will be hearing the sides of the story between Zuko and Jet. Just because Sokka doesn't want to know, doesn't mean that you guys don't. -Jenna**


	11. The Girl in the Black Boots

**Chapter 11: The Girl in the Black Boots**

**.**

The Jasmine Dragon had been relatively quiet all morning. In the four and a half hours that Sokka had been at work, three customers had come in, all of which got their tea to go, so left no mess behind for cleaning up. Sokka was thrilled to be working somewhere other than over the sink in the back room, as it was Zuko's day off and the boy wasn't up front with Iroh. The old man had even let Sokka behind the counter to watch him prepare a 'proper cup of tea', as Iroh called it, and was soon deeply enthralled in teaching the young boy how to play Pai Sho. The morning wore on, only bringing a few more customers in, and Sokka was starting to get uneasy about even being there.

"Iroh, is it...always this slow on Sunday?" Sokka asked, leaning back in his seat as he was beat once again in Pai Sho.

The old man simply nodded and began to reset the board, making Sokka purse his lips and begin untying his apron. "What are you doing, Sokka? Your shift isn't over for another hour," Iroh said, standing up and heading over to the counter. "Do you want some tea?"

"I'm going off the clock. There's no reason for me to be on shift today, is there? I mean you've had half a dozen customers, what do you need me for?" Sokka pulled his apron from over his head and followed Iroh up to the counter, then leaned across it and nodded when the old man held up a cup as a way of repeating his question.

"You don't want to work?" Iroh asked as he busied himself with the tea.

Sokka made a protesting sigh and shook his head. "I _do _want to work, but not if I'm not actually needed." He smiled softly as the old man turned to him with a slight frown on his face. "If you want company, then I'm happy to come and have tea and learn to play Pai Sho, but you don't have to pay me to get me to hang around."

"Oh, I don't?" Iroh asked, lifting up the two cups of tea and passing one to Sokka.

"No, you don't. If you wanted me to come by, then you coulda just asked." Sokka took his cup from Iroh and turned back to their table, his apron now hanging over his arm. He sipped happily at his tea as the two of them continued their lesson in the game and chatted about school, tea and even skateboarding. After another hour had passed, Sokka cast a hesitant glance towards the clock on the wall behind the counter.

"Somewhere you have to be?" Iroh asked, his tone more than knowing.

"Well, this is when I was going to be off and if I had known that I'd been hanging out, I wouldn't have done it, but I sort of made plans for lunch." Sokka gave the old man a strained smile and shifted in his seat. "I'm really sorry. I can...I can always call and cancel or something, it isn't a big deal. Yeah, I'll just cancel." He nodded decisively and started to stand up, but Iroh put his hand out.

"Don't you dare cancel your plans on my account. Like you said, you didn't know. We can continue this another time. You go and have fun, go do what you had planned. I'll see you tomorrow, or Tuesday, I believe you're scheduled off tomorrow. " Iroh gave Sokka a warm smile and began putting away the Pai Sho tiles.

"Thanks," Sokka answered, grabbing both of their cups and standing up. "I'll take these to the back. I gotta put this up anyways." He held up his apron and nodded to it, then started into the back room, just reaching the door as Zuko pushed it open to get into the main of the shoppe. He kept his eyes on the ground and mumbled a quick thank you as Zuko held the door open for him, then made his way to the sink with the cups.

The tiny ding of the bell above the tea shoppe door rang out through the quiet building, making it clear that someone had come in or gone out of the shoppe. Sokka assumed that Zuko had been the one to make the sound as he thought the boy would be leaving, however moments later, the door to the back room swung open, hitting loudly on the wall behind it, and Zuko stomped back through, clearly heading for the stairs.

Before the door even had a chance to close back, another figure was stepping into the back room, close on Zuko's heels. "Don't you walk away from me," a girl said, her voice sharp and cool, every syllable coming out clearly. She spoke as though she were a figure of authority, though Sokka could tell the girl was younger than both of them. Suddenly realizing Sokka's presence, the girl turned to him and raised her eyebrows.

Never before this moment had Sokka disliked a person from merely looking at them. It wasn't one thing in particular about her, but more her over all self that was making him wish he were anywhere other than in her stare. A pair of over priced sunglasses sat perched atop the girl's sleek black hair that reached down to the bottom of her chin. Her features were sharp and edgy, her skin pale, making Sokka wonder if she would be cold to the touch. Her thin frame was as sharp as her face and she stood with one hip jutted out to the side in what seemed to be an attempt at nonchalance. She wore a fitted tee-shirt that reached down over her hips atop a pair of skinny black jeans. An oversized belt wrapped her waist and she stooped precisely perched on a pair of pointed toe, high heeled, black boots.

The girls lips curved up into an eerie smile and she drug a long red fingernail across her forehead to push away a strand of hair that had fallen into her eyes. Her eyes. Sokka felt instant recognition the moment his eyes met hers. They were a golden honey color, shimmering despite there being no direct light to reflect in them. He pulled his own eyes away and flicked them over to Zuko, meeting his identical eyes for only a moment before the other boy turned away from him.

"You didn't tell me that you had made a new friend," the girl sang out as she took a small step towards Sokka, her eyes taking him in. Sokka had been stared over before in his life, he'd been admired by girls, admired by guys, been watched with mistrust and disgust, been subjected to the analytical gaze of new teachers and school mates, but never before had he felt as though he were being sized up. The way the girl looked him over, it was as though she were calculating her chances of taking him down should she ever need to.

"He isn't my friend," Zuko's voice cut through the growing tension. "He's just some guy that Uncle hired to work here." The boy wrapped his hand around the girl's shoulder and turned her away from Sokka, but she protested and turned back.

"That isn't very nice, Zu Zu," the girl said, her voice still cool and precise. "Friend or not, you should still be polite enough to introduce me. I swear it is as though you have no manners at all."

"I've told you not to call me that," Zuko growled at the girl, staring her down.

The girl merely stared back up at him, her smile never faltering as she seemed to meet his challenge. "I think it's cute, Zu Zu. Don't you agree?" she asked, turning back to Sokka.

Rather than answer, or speak at all for that matter, Sokka stepped around the two and hurried back into the main room of the Tea Shoppe, not caring that his apron was still clutched tightly in his hand. He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath until he neared the front door and gasped loudly. He stared back towards where he had come and shook his head, feeling sick to his stomach, his hand mindlessly laying over it.

"I see from the look on your face that you've met Azula," Iroh said, slipping the apron from Sokka's hand.

"If that..._girl_ is Azula, then yes, I have." Sokka shook off a shudder that traveled down his spine and stared up at Iroh. "She kinda freaked me out. She was like one of those bearded cats that stand so still in a window that you're certain they're statues. Then when you get up next to them..." Rather than finish his sentence, Sokka put his hands up, his fingers bent to mimic claws, and thrust his hands forward, letting out a small screeching sound. "Who is she?"

"I just told you that it was Azula," Iroh answered, his voice showing no sign of having been kidding, as he turned away from Sokka and laid the boy's apron onto the counter.

"I know you said Azula, I mean _who_ is she? Like how is she...related?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows with wonder.

"You assume she's related?"

"Well, her eyes were kinda...they were like yours...and..." Sokka trailed off, waving his hand towards the door to the back room and tilting his head. "You know..._his_," he finished, forcing out an awkward cough into his hand and finding a scuff on the floor that demanded to be stared at.

"She's Zuko's sister," Iroh answered, leaning his hands on the counter and staring hard at Sokka. "You didn't know that Zuko had a sister, did you?" he asked as Sokka gave him a look laced with pure bewilderment.

The young boy shook his head and shifted his weight between his feet. "No, I didn't. I haven't seen her around, like at school or anything."

"She doesn't go to your school. She goes to a private school in Omashu."

"Why doesn't Zuko go there too? Is it...an all girls' school or something?" Sokka questioned, becoming more confused as the old man shook his head in response. "Well, Katara and I always go to the same school. We always live together too, but she doesn't live here, you and Zuko live here. You know what? It really isn't my business what school Zuko's sister goes to or if he even has a sister." He nodded non-committally and threw his hands up, then turned towards the front door. "I'll see you Tuesday."

Iroh let out a heavy sigh as he watched Sokka disappear from the shoppe. He went about his work, making himself another cup of tea, and waited patiently for Azula and Zuko to come back downstairs. After half an hour of silence in the shoppe, the door to the back room crashed open and Azula stomped through, her hands tightly balled into fists, hanging down to her sides. Her face was contorted into pure rage and she muttered several profanities at Iroh before shoving open the tea shoppe door and turning out of sight.

"She has got quite the mouth on her," Iroh said, turning his attention to Zuko as the boy quietly approached the counter. "She gets it from my brother. When he was fifteen, he couldn't get through a sentence without using a curse word. I'm certainly glad you don't speak that way...any more," he added, giving Zuko a small smirk.

"She doesn't have the influence I do," Zuko answered, smiling back up at his Uncle. "She wants me to come home," he said, answering the unspoken question on Iroh's mind. "I know my father only wants me there to make him look good for the campaign."

"Maybe, maybe not." Iroh sat a small cup of tea on the counter and nudged it towards Zuko.

"No_ maybe not_ about it. He couldn't have any other reason. He was stupid to send Azula," Zuko muttered, picking up the tea and sipping at it. He hissed, as the too hot liquid hit his tongue, and grimaced at the cup. "Did she scare off Sokka?" he asked with a small laugh.

"Not exactly. He was on his way out anyways."

"Oh?" Zuko looked up at his Uncle in confusion and tilted his head. "When I peeked out here earlier, I thought you two were getting all friendly. Playing Pai Sho and all that."

"We were, but he had lunch plans with a friend." Iroh took his own tea and watched Zuko over the rim of the cup.

"With Jet, I bet," Zuko snorted.

Iroh raised his eyebrows at his nephew and shrugged. "He didn't say with who."

"Jet."

"And if he did? What do you care. He isn't your friend, he's just some guy that I hired, remember?" Iroh asked, setting his cup back down on the counter and waiting for one of Zuko's fits to erupt out of his words.

Zuko balled his hands into fists and scowled angrily at the counter. Though he could feel the urge to yell coming on, he kept his voice at a proper level. "I didn't mean to say that."

"But you did."

"I know I did!" Zuko yelled, throwing his hands up. "Sorry," he whispered, forcing his hands into his pockets. "I know I did," he repeated, his tone quiet. "Now he's off telling Jet that I said it, no doubt."

"Isn't it odd?" Iroh asked, grabbing a napkin from beside the counter and dabbing at a bit of tea that lay on the counter top.

"Isn't what odd?" Zuko asked, his voice sounding tired and rehearsed, as though he had already been through the conversation that was coming.

"I was just thinking that it is odd how we can forgive our enemies more easily than we can forgive our friends and loved ones." Iroh tossed the napkin back into the trash can and watched Zuko carefully.

"I don't find that odd. When we forgive our enemies, it's noble. Our friends, our _loved ones_ as you put it, they shouldn't _need_ forgiveness." Zuko shook his head and turned away from the disappointed look on Iroh's face. "That doesn't stop you from forgiving me. I guess you're just a better person than I am," he whispered.

"That isn't true, Zuko. You know it isn't."

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Enter Azula. You will be seeing more of her in this story, as well as her sidekicks, Ty Lee and Mai. Oh, yes there will be Mai. *shudders* I can feel those glares, just so you know. So who thinks Sokka is out to lunch with Jet and who thinks that Zuko is just being a whiny brat? Who thinks both? Leave me some thoughts. :D -Jenna**


	12. Rumors & Such

**Chapter 12: Rumors & Such**

**.**

Things had gone quiet in the Jasmine Dragon tea shoppe as Iroh made up two cups of tea and sat down with his nephew to play some Pai Sho. Though Zuko never much cared for the game, he would indulge his Uncle on occasion, especially the occasions where he had lost his temper at the man as he had early. The young boy pushed around a tile with his finger, his eyes not truly focused on anything, as his tea cooled and his Uncle set up the game board. His elbow rested up on the table and his head was leaned against his hand. His mind wandered aimlessly, replaying his fight with Azula, replaying what he had said about Sokka, replaying what he had said to Iroh, he didn't even notice the small bell that signaled someone coming into the shoppe.

"Did you come back for this?" Iroh asked, holding a small, brown, leather square up in the air.

Zuko narrowed his eyes and made out that his Uncle was holding a wallet, then spun around to see who the man was talking to. "Sokka," he said, distantly as the boy came rushing over with a huge grin on his face.

"Yes! Oh, I'm so glad it was here. I thought for sure I lost it on the walk," Sokka cried out as he took his wallet back from Iroh and stuffed it into his back pocket. "Where was it?"

"Under the table. I just spotted it a few minutes ago, actually." Iroh smiled back at Sokka and slipped down into his chair. "How was your lunch?" he asked, innocently, as his eyes fixed back on the tiles in front of him. "Zuko, I need that one," he said, pointing the tile under the boy's finger.

"It was fine...ish," Sokka answered with a grin.

"Ish?" Zuko snorted as he handed over the tile to Iroh.

"Yeah." Sokka let out another laugh, but snapped it silent as the door to the shoppe opened once more and Haru stepped in.

"Did you find it?" Haru asked, his eyes worried.

"Yeah," Sokka answered as he dug the wallet back out of his pocket and started to open it.

Haru put his hand up and pushed Sokka's wallet back from him. "I said don't. Lunch was on me. Least I can do for boring you to death." He gave a hearty laugh and stuffed his hands down into his jeans pockets.

"You didn't...bore me," Sokka argued, laughing nervously and putting on a clueless face. "Why...why would you think that?" He made a small snorting sound, somewhere between a cough and laugh, then shoved his wallet back into his pocket.

Haru rolled his eyes comically and shook his head. "You looked like you were gonna fall asleep in your noodle bowl, Sokka. It's okay, though, I get it. I did spend most of the time talking about your sister." He smirked at the other boy to show understanding and gave a small wave to Iroh and Zuko, who were both making no effort at hiding the fact they were listening to them talk.

While Iroh waved back, Zuko spun back around in his chair and folded his arms over his chest, then slouched down as small as he could get.

"Anyways, I'll talk to you tomorrow," Haru continued. "About something _other_ than Katara. Promise." He laughed quietly and gave another wave to Iroh as he pushed back onto the sidewalk.

Sokka turned back to the inside of the shoppe and shifted awkwardly on the spot. "So...um, I'll see you... Yeah, see you when I see you," he said, nodding for no actual reason. "Later."

"Wait," Zuko called out quickly as he spun around out of his chair and stood up. "Can we talk for a minute? Just one minute, let me explain," he begged, his hand rubbing over the back of his neck.

Sokka shrugged, though Zuko didn't see on account of he was staring at the floor, and let out a sharp breath. "Yeah, sure. I can spare a minute for a coworker," he said, bitterly.

"Damn it, I knew you were going to do that," Zuko growled. "I didn't...when I said...if you knew..." He trailed his words off into an exasperated sigh and flung his hands up wildly. "I didn't mean to say that, okay? I'm... If you knew Azula, if you had any idea how frustrating she can be..." His fingers twisted up into his hair and his head tilted upwards. He closed his eyes tightly and growled at himself. "I'm sorry. I am sorry. I didn't mean to call you...not a friend, I was just annoyed and angry and t-"

"Right," Sokka interrupted, his voice simple.

"What?" Zuko dropped his hands to his side with an audible slap and stared across at Sokka with confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean _right_?"

"I mean that you were right. I'm _not_ your friend. I barely know you and you can't seem to stand me," Sokka pointed out, his voice light and seemingly uncaring. "It's fine though. I'm not as needy and self absorbed as you seem to think that I am. Just don't worry about it." He waved over the other boy's shoulder to Iroh, then turned towards the door. Halfway outside, he poked his head back in and flicked a strand of dark brown hair from his eyes. "Wanna come over and hang out? Katara still has friends over and it's a chick fest. Could _really_ use another guy around."

"Wha-what?" Zuko asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. "You want...but you just said and I heard that we aren't and now you want me to...you are so weird."

"I said that we weren't friends, not that we couldn't be. So...do you want to come over?" Sokka asked, his words slow and pointed. "I'm not going to ask you twice. Well...technically, I did ask you twice, but you know what I mean. So, yes or no?"

"Now you've asked three times," Zuko pointed out with a smirk.

"And now I'm leaving," Sokka said with a flourish as he headed out of the door.

Zuko cast a glance back towards his Uncle, who gave him a rather stern face and pointed decidedly towards the door. The boy made a weary face and charged out of the building after Sokka. "Wait, I'll co- You're awfully presumptuous aren't you?" he finished, once he spotted Sokka leaning near the wall just outside of the door.

Sokka poked at his lip ring with his tongue and gave Zuko a small grin. "Just wanted to give you a chance to make your mind either way," he answered, shrugging. "I live this way." He hooked his thumbs into his pockets and started in the direction of the Crescent Island Apartments. "Hey, so um...if two is a couple and three is a crowd, then...what are four and five?" he asked, glancing back at Zuko with the trace of his usual smile crawling onto his lips.

Zuko pushed one hand back through his hair and sighed. "I know that I'm gonna regret this," he said, already laughing under his breath. "What are four and five?"

"Nine," Sokka answered, the smile on his face stretching from ear to ear. "Guess they don't teach Maths here in Omashu," he added with a laugh.

"_Guess they don't teach Maths_, dork," Zuko mocked, laughing as he shoved his hand into the other boy's shoulder. He watched with a grin as Sokka caught his balance back.

"If I'm such a dork, then why are you laughing?" Sokka argued, still laughing himself, as he pointed to the huge smile on the other boy's face. "You think I'm funny, you think I'm funny," he said in a sing song voice.

"Nu uh, no, I do not think you're funny. Don't go saying that stuff, that's how rumors start. Today people hear that I think you're funny and by next week, they'll all be talking about us opening up our own comedy bar in Ba Sing Se," Zuko pointed his finger, mock-threateningly, at Sokka and gave him a stern face. He was taken aback as Sokka stepped up to the door of the apartment and started fumbling with the keys. "Whoa, you live here? This is like one of those retirement complexes where a bunch of- Oh yeah, you live with your Grandmother, I forgot."

"Yeah, I do," Sokka answered, distantly as he focused on the proper key. He gave a start when the door pulled open and Gran Gran poked her head out.

"I thought I heard someone out here," the old woman said with a grin as she stepped out of the way so that the boys could come inside. "Who is this young man?" she asked, her eyes taking in Zuko.

Zuko reached up and fumbled his fingers around his earrings on one ear while he twisted his other hand in his pocket. "I'm Zuko. Iroh's nephew. You know him, right? The Professor, I mean Pakku, he talks about you sometimes." He cleared his throat nervously and cut his eyes towards Sokka.

"Yes, I know Iroh. He talks about you often," Kanna answered, though her voice left no indication as to if she thought this a good or bad thing to have the boy in her home. "I've just made some fried dough if you'd like any."

Sokka was in the kitchen before his Gran Gran had even finished the offer. He beamed at his sister, Jin and Suki as he spotted them all sitting around the table, chatting away. "Since you girls are in here, the rooms mine," he said quickly, ignoring the cry of protest that came from his sister. He snagged a plate from the cupboard and quickly knocked enough of the fresh treat onto in for both himself and Zuko.

"I know you can't eat all of those. You eat a lot, but Sokka," Katara said rolling her eyes at him.

"I have company," Sokka sighed, making a face at his sister.

"Is it Jet?" she asked, quickly, catching hold of Sokka's arm.

"No, it isn't," he answered, pulling from her grip and charging back into the entryway where Zuko was looking rather uncomfortable next to a smirking Kanna. "Come on, the females are in the kitchen, we can have the room." Sokka shoved the filled plate into Zuko's hands and grabbed his shoulders from behind, then push steered him towards the bedroom. Once inside, he closed the door and took the plate back from Zuko. "Thith i' my chide," he said, his mouth already full of the powdered sugar dusted fried dough. He dropped the plate onto his desk, on top of a scattered pile of skateboarding magazines.

"You...share a room with your sister? Isn't that a little awkward?" Zuko asked, staring with wide eyes at the large flowers donning Katara's walls.

"Not really, we've shared a room since she was born. Beside, this is just a two bedroom place. Gran Gran was going to let Katara have her room and sleep on the couch, but we wouldn't let her. It's enough that she' letting us stay, we're not gonna put her out," Sokka answered as he dropped heavily onto his bed, then scampered up to retrieve another sweet and got back into position at the top of his bed, his legs tucked under him. "Try one."

Zuko picked up a treat and perched himself on the end of Sokka's bed. "Why do you...well I just...I was wondering why you live _here_. Like...where are your parents? You don't have to answer that, I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry," he corrected himself, staring down at the fried dough in his hand and breaking off a tiny piece of it.

"Is okay," Sokka said, his mouth full once again. He sped up his chewing and swallowed before answering. "Dad's off fighting the war. He's a General."

"Uncle was a General, back in his day," Zuko interjected with a grin, finally looking up at Sokka.

"Really? He doesn't strike me as the military type." Sokka pointed towards the plate and patted the bed when Zuko picked it up.

"What about your...mom?" Zuko asked, his eyes darting to the plate as he placed it where Sokka's hand had been.

Sokka picked up another piece of fried dough and held it between his fingers. "She's dead. It was twelve years ago, so it isn't a fresh wound or anything." He nodded and stuffed the dough into his mouth, eagerly.

"So you came here when your dad went to war? That doesn't make since, if he's a General..." Zuko let his words trail off when Sokka shook his head.

"Dad's been in the military since before I was born. His last leave was two years ago, haven't actually seen him since then. We were living with a buddy of his on the base. Bato was his best friend growing up, so he knew we were safe. He left the service about six years ago, but the others, they got him to agree to serve tour, so we came to stay here." Sokka held out his hands to indicate the apartment.

"Still, I couldn't imagine having to share a room with my sister. Ever. Not even for a day. We would rip each other apart." Zuko forced a laugh and stuffed his mouth with another sweet.

"Well, I met that sister of yours and I can tell you, Katara is _not_ like that. We may bicker and snap, but your sister just seemed..." Sokka gave a shudder in lieu of finishing his words, causing Zuko to laugh out genuinely. "You think I'm funny, you think I'm funny, okay, shushing," Sokka said, holding his hands up when Zuko pointed at him threateningly again. "Wanna listen to music?" he asked, not waiting for an answer to flick on the stereo.

The music only, tail end of a song faded out and was followed by a man's voice. _"That was the latest by the Five-Seven-Five Club, I hope you enjoyed it. You are listening to Midday Madness with the Hippo-"_

_"-and The Boooouuldeeeeer-"_

_"-bringing you steady tunes to get you through the midday slump. This next one is by the B-"_

The sound of the Hippo's voice was over powered by Sokka. "You know that Blind Bandit chick? Do you think she's really blind?"

"What?" Zuko asked, turning his attention from the radio to Sokka.

"Do you think that she's blind? The Blind Bandit, do you think that she is really blind or is it just a statement that she's blind to the commercialism and so called trends of today's society?"

"Oh, the Blind Bandit? No, she' really blind," Zuko answered with sincerity. "So I've heard," he added quickly, looking away from Sokka's face. "You know...rumors and such..."

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Don't you guys just LOVE it when I leave you with more questions? Like...how does Zuko know that the Blind Bandit (AKA Toph) is really blind? So anyways, it seems like Zuko and Sokka just might actually manage a friendship. In case you aren't exactly following the time line, it is just after lunch now, there will at least one more chapter to this day and then it will be Monday, which, if you recall...the first class will include Zuko, Jet and Sokka. How do you think that this potentially budding friendship will fair against the unwavering advances of Jet? :D -Jenna**


	13. Don't Cry to Me

**Chapter 13: Don't Cry to Me**

**.**

_"That was the latest by the Five-Seven-Five Club, I hope you enjoyed it. You are listening to Midday Madness with the Hippo-"_

_"-and The Boooouuldeeeeer-"_

_"-bringing you steady tunes to get you through the midday slump. This next one is by the Blue Spirit. Tell me, The Boulder, what do you think of this oh-so-elusive fellow that seems to be stealing girl's hearts without even putting out his name?"_

_"The Boulder thinks that this chump needs to come out and show his face."_

_"Chump? How can you call him a chump? He's very popular, especially this song, our most requested."_

_"Popular or not, Hippo, I think he's a chump."_

_"Alright, well chump or not, here he is."_

The sound of strumming soon poured out of a set of speakers, filling a bedroom with the fast paced music. A set of long fingers, tipped in baby pink, stubby fingernails, closed around a stereo's volume knob and turned it louder. The fingers were attached to petite girl with a very curvy figure. Her hair was the color of damp beach sand and was brought to the back of her head in a high ponytail, the tip reaching to her middle back in a braid. Her bangs were cut short and tapered towards her soft, pale face, where she had a set of large, light brown eyes and a tiny nose. She dressed to show her curves, donning a short, white skirt that hit her just around the thighs and a long-sleeved baby pink sweater that came up off her mid-drift to show a sparkling belly-button ring and a tattoo of three white roses on her lower back.

_"This whole routine is getting old...so am I and so are you...my reputation lets me know that I can do, whatever I want to...Though it seems that you believe you can do-"_

"How can you listen to that drabble, Ty Lee?"

Ty Lee dropped her fingers from the volume knob and spun around to face the girl who had addressed her. "It isn't drabble, Mai, it's great," she hissed at her friend.

Mai was a taller girl, hitting just under six foot, with a thin waist and broad shoulders. Her hair was jet black and shiny to the point of being blinding if it reflected just properly, it was silken smooth and long, reaching down over her shoulders to sit just above her full chest. Her bangs were heavy and thickly cut to hang just above her pale hazel eyes. Her thin lips set out against her angled jaw line, giving her face a sense of balance against her overflow of hair. She wore a pair of loose fitting black slacks and a heavy black sweater that hid her shapely figure. "Great?" she asked, her voice low and even. "That song sucks, it's just some whiny boy whining about a chick."

"Shush," Ty Lee said, her voice light and airy. "I think it's wonderful. He's so passionate and real. Listen, this is my favorite part." She reached out and turned the volume up a bit more, then bounced in place with the music as she started to sing along, curling her hand into a fist and imitating having a microphone. "_You set yourself up to be sold and that's okay, cause that's your goal...manipulation takes its toll, what will you do, when nobody wants you?_" She pointed dramatically towards Mai and flashed the girl a huge grin as she sang along.

Mai let out a groan and laid herself back on Ty Lee's bed. "Whiny boy," she muttered as she picked up a celebrity gossip magazine from the dancing girl's night stand.

From the other side of the door, a scuffle could be heard and Ty Lee reacted by turning up the music yet again. "They are always fighting," she sighed as she walked over to the door and peeked out to see two of her sisters, who happened to look almost identical to her, rolling around in the floor, tugging at each other's hair. "Pathetic." Her face lit up as she spotted another girl standing across the hallway, also giving the fighting girls a disgusted look. "Azula!"

Azula looked up at the sound of her name and smirked at Ty Lee. She stepped around the scuffle and hurried into the bedroom. "Those two are always going at it," she said, coolly as she pushed the door closed behind her. "Ah, I love this song. _You like the way that people stare at you now, you look so fake, just thought that you should know...and you're all the same and when the curtain drops down...you'll be replaced by something typical._"

"Azula," Mai groaned. "I really thought you were above listening to this senselessly popular drabble that we are programed to like by the main stream media."

"Shut up, Mai," Azula snapped as she dropped onto the end of Ty Lee's bed. "I'm not in the mood to listen to your social conspiracy mumbo jumbo right now." She crossed her legs and held her hand out in front of her, examining her long fingernails.

"What's crawled up your butt today, Azula?" Mai asked, rolling her eyes and mindlessly flipping the page of the magazine.

Azula scoffed and ran her tongue over her teeth. "I had to spend time with my lame brother this morning," she said, distantly.

Mai sat up and flung the magazine into her lap, then shoved her hand into Azula's shoulder, making the girl shoot her an icy glare. "You went to see Zuko and didn't tell me? Azula, you should have taken me along," she said, her voice almost raising an octave.

Azula waved off her friend and shook her head. "I didn't know I was going until this morning. Father asked me to go talk to him. Ridiculous if you ask me. He seems to think that bringing him back home will help his image." She tilted her head and watched as Ty Lee continued to bounce around the bedroom, singing along with the new song on the radio, now clutching a hairbrush as her microphone. "If you want to see Zuko, why don't you just go on your own?"

"You know I'm not allowed," Mai said, casually as she laid back on the bed. "If father caught me, he'd go ballistic. Besides...he's been avoiding me, not even returning my calls the last few weeks."

"What did you do this time?" Ty Lee asked, her voice light and innocent as she tossed her brush back onto her dresser and dropped onto the bed next to Mai.

Mai shrugged her shoulders in the slightest way and twisted her lips. "Nothing. I don't think."

Ty Lee giggled and grabbed the magazine from her friend's lap. "You sure about that? You haven't screwed one of his friends and forgotten about it, have you?" she asked, turning towards Azula and exchanging winks with her. "Not that he has any now," she added with another giggle. "My oh my, would you check out this hottie," she said, more to herself as she held up the magazine closer to her face.

"He does have one," Azula said with a smirk. "I saw him today. He's kinda cute, but nothing special," she directed at Ty Lee when the girl gave her a hopeful look. "Well, he _said_ that the guy wasn't his friend, just someone that Uncle hired to help around the tea shoppe, but when I kept asking, he was getting so frustrated, I know there's more than that."

"Why do you have to give him so much hell, Azula?" Mai asked, her voice dry as she snatched the magazine back from Ty Lee.

"It's fun," Azula answered, using a tone that screamed _isn't-that-obvious_. "You should just break it off with him, Mai. He really isn't good enough for you. It's kinda pathetic watching the two of you together. Honestly, it's one of the most depressing things to watch. You just sit there and sigh at each other."

"We do not," Mai huffed, throwing the magazine across the bed and hitting Azula in the chest with it.

Ty Lee put on a mockingly gloomy face and rolled her eyes up. "Sigh, hello, Mai. Sigh, hello, Zuko. Sigh, would you like some popcorn? Sigh, why bother, popcorn is just a propaganda of the social structure designed to make us all robots. Sigh."

"I like popcorn," Mai argued, narrowing her eyes Ty Lee and folding her arms over her chest. "I don't know why I even hang out with you two," she mumbled.

Meanwhile, back in Omashu, the Blue Spirit's song was provoking a rather different reaction from the employees of the Serpent's Pass Skate Park.

The music poured into the concession stand from a small, personal radio which sat up high on a shelf. The volume was up loud enough for the music to be heard over the sounds of talking and skating outside of the tiny snack stand. _"...You look so fake, just thought that you should know...and you're all the same and when the curtain drops down...you'll be replaced by something typical...I know I've stood so long beside you and I know I should've left you right where I found you..."_

Jet roughly tossed a handful of chips onto a plate and carelessly ladled the thick cheese on top of the pile. "Do you want peppers?" he growled back towards the counter.

A young man with a nicely coiffed head of light brown hair and a huge, tooth grin nodded at Jet and returned to his conversation with another young man, bearing a deep black ponytail.

"I asked a question," Jet growled.

"And I nodded," the boy said with a rather arrogant tone.

Jet turned around and dropped the nachos onto the counter so heavily that cheese spattered up onto the boy's shirt. "You nodded? I had my back to you, you dumb shit. How are you gonna nod at me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes threateningly and reaching over to the jar of jalapeno peppers.

_" You look so fake, just thought that you should know...and you're all the same and when the curtain drops down...you'll be replaced by something..."_

"Take it easy, freak. I wasn't thinking," the boy said, meeting his friends eyes with shock.

"Do you ever think?" Jet asked, raising one eyebrow at the boy.

The boy held up his hands and scoffed at Jet. "Watch it, do you _know_ who you're talking to like that?" he asked, laughing arrogantly.

"A couple of dumb asses?"

"Watch it," the other boy cut in. "I'm Chan and this is Ron Jon. We're, like, the owner's sons. Maybe you wanna rethink that attitude, now, huh?"

Jet snorted a laugh and tossed a large spoonful of the peppers down onto the already splattered nachos, smirking as the juice from them also jumped up onto Ron Jon's shirt. "How's that for rethinking?" he asked sneering at the boys. "Take you food and go, you arrogant pieces of-"

"You'd better watch your mouth, nacho boy, or we'll get your ass fired," Chan threatened.

"Oh my, whatever will I do if I lose the ability to serve food-like products to a bunch of ungrateful jerks? How ever will I go with my life?" Jet shoved the nacho plate towards Ron Jon, who barely caught it before it fell to the ground. "Next!" he called out, twisting his lips in defiance at the boys as they walked off muttering to each other.

A hand fell onto Jet's shoulder, making him spin around and glare. Upon seeing that it was just Longshot, he gave the boy a weak smile and stepped back from the counter. Longshot raised his eyebrows, questioningly at Jet and glanced towards the retreating figures of Chan and Ron Jon.

"They just pissed me off," Jet hissed as he moved towards the chip warming drawer and started to open a massive sized bag of tortilla chips. "I need a break," he muttered. He dropped the chip bag onto the counter next to the warmer and turned towards the door. "I'll do that when I get back in here. I'll only be gone a few minutes," he said distantly as he stepped out of the door and leaned against the wall beside it. He drug his hands back roughly through his hair and stared hard at the ground in front of him. "That bitch ruined everything," he whispered to himself as he dropped his hands and dug his toothpicks out of his pocket.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Short chapter, I know. Not a lot going on here, but it is a lot more important than you might think. Okay, the song is called "Pen & Paper" and it's by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I've put a link on my profile if you want to check out the whole thing. Leave me some thoughts, good or bad, I welcome them all. :D -Jenna**

**Virtual cookies if you can guess who that song is written about. :D **


	14. Color Me Stunned

**Chapter 14: Color Me Stunned**

**.**

Sokka took a deep breath as he stood in the hallway outside of his Chemistry classroom. He smoothed his hands down over his hair and tugged at the hem of his black tee-shirt, which was set over a long-sleeved white one. He frowned at the cuff of his baggy, white jeans as he spotted the tips of them tainted with dirt from the walk to school. His hands moved about, checking and prodding at everything. Belt in every belt loop, check. Eyebrow ring and lip ring secured, check. All earrings still in place, check. Hair smooth and in order, check. Unnerving and unusual sense of panic, check. He reached for the door, only to be intercepted by another hand.

"Still too slow," Jet said, giving Sokka a casual wink. The boy flashed a crooked smile and pushed one hand into his already mussed hair, in an effort of achieve that _I'm not making an effort _look. "Sorry, what I meant to say was, good morning, Sokka." He smiled again and wiggled the toothpick between his lips, his small brown eyes wandering over the other boy's body as Sokka waited for him to open the door.

"Good morning, Jet. If you don't open the door, we're gonna be late for class," Sokka said with a smirk. "Thank you," he added as Jet pulled the door open and allowed him to go in first.

"Longshot's out sick, you wanna be my lab partner today?" Jet asked, just before they reached their seats, an eager bounce coming with each step.

Sokka shook his head and glanced up to his own empty table. "I have a partner. Besides, I doubt that Pak- the Professor would like us changing around." He dropped his bag onto the floor and slid it under the table with his foot, then climbed up onto his stool and turned around to face Jet. "By the way, you're out of luck," he said with a grin. When Jet merely raised an eyebrow in question, he laughed quietly and elaborated. "Katara and Haru are officially a couple now."

"You mean a couple _for_ now," Jet said in defiance. "How was your lunch date with ole' Haru anyways? Did you make him get down and wrestle for the right to date your sister?" He raised his eyebrows, suggestively and bit down on his toothpick. "If that's the case, then sign me up for the next round," he added with a wink.

"You wanna wrestle with Haru? Well, I'm pretty sure he's straight, but I'll ask him for you," Sokka said with a laugh.

"You think you're so funny." Jet rolled his eyes at Sokka and snorted at seeing Zuko pass in between them.

Zuko was wearing a pair of faded black jeans and a light blue shirt that bore a striking similarity to the icy color of Sokka's eyes. His hair was pushed forward in the same manner as always, making a slight attempt at covering his scar, and his arms were decked in their usual abundance of leather bracelets. Around his neck, hung a loose, black, silk tie that brushed against the notebook clutched in his hand, keeping his attention. He dropped onto his stool and bent over the pages, scratching fiercely at them without so much as a glance to either Sokka or Jet.

Sokka leaned back against the desk and tried to peek over at the pages, resulting in Zuko shifting a bit further away from him. "At least I know you're paying attention to me," he said with a laugh as he reached out and closed his hand around Zuko's tie. "Fancy stuff," he said, tugging on it slightly to get Zuko to look up at him.

Zuko flashed Sokka a quick, yet genuine smile and put his hand on the top of his tie to slide it out of Sokka's hand. "Yeah," he muttered before turning back to his writing.

"What are you writing?" Sokka asked, leaning further over Zuko's notebook and putting his arm up on the boy's shoulder.

"Sokka, down," Zuko snapped, though he couldn't help but laugh at the eager look on the boy's face. When Sokka dropped back onto his seat and pouted at Zuko, he rolled his eyes and closed his notebook. "Nothing, just gibberish. Don't concern yourself with it," he said, offering up another smile.

Sokka nodded and tilted his head slightly as he leaned his side against the table. "Have it your way, I'll just keep bugging you though," he said as he reached out and grabbed the boy's tie yet again. "Really, this thing is nice. Soft and silky -"

"That's because it _is_ silk," Zuko sighed, tugging it back out of Sokka's hands again. "If I woulda known you were gonna to be tugging at me all day, I wouldn't have worn it."

"Well, that's your own fault then, you shoulda read my warning label. _Sokka_, hand wash only, doesn't test well, likes anything edible, skateboarding and tugging on silk ties." Sokka grinned at his own joke, though it received an eye roll from the other boy, and twisted his fingers into the hem of his own shirt, his eyes still locked hard onto the tie around Zuko's neck. "Do you th-"

"How's Mai?" Jet's question dropped onto Sokka's words like a heavy weight, crushing the boy into silence.

Zuko spun around in his seat and narrowed his eyes threateningly at Jet, his head tilting towards him slightly. "Excuse me? How dare you even start to ask me about her, you son of a bi-"

"Who's Mai?" Sokka asked, quickly, trying to cut through the tension that was building around them.

Jet took his eyes off of Zuko and grinned over at Sokka. "Mai is Zuko's girlfriend," he answered with an _oh-didn't-you-know_ tone. "All the time you two spend together at that little tea shoppe and you didn't know that Zuko had a girlfriend?" he asked, taking obvious pleasure in hitting Sokka with unknown information. "She's friends with his sister, or did you not know about her either?"

"That's enough," Zuko snapped as his hand reached forward and clasped onto the edge of Jet's table. "Who I do and don't tell Sokka about is none of your business and as for Mai, she is _really_ none of your business," he growled. The sound of the bell spun Zuko back around in his seat. He stared hard at the front of the closed notebook before him and leaned his head over into his hand.

Sokka glared daggers at Jet and turned back around to face the front of the room. Part of him didn't feel right glaring at Jet, considering that he had no idea of the situation, but he felt safe in his assumption, as Zuko was the one looking rather upset and Jet was the one wearing an all too smug grin. He leaned towards Zuko, with the intention of offering some sort of consolation, but the look on the boy's face made it pretty clear that Sokka was better off staying silent. He swallowed back the words that were dying to come out and settled back into his seat properly.

The subsequent lecture was almost enough to put Sokka to sleep, as well as some of the other students. Pakku spoke for almost the entire class period, only taking a break to show a demonstration of chemical reactions. The students quietly took notes, though Sokka was fairly sure that Zuko was writing something other than Chemistry related things, and copied down the assignment given at the end of the lesson, which happened to be a rather lengthy essay. Sokka quietly picked up his things as the bell rang and scooted out of the door without bothering to wait for Jet or Zuko either one.

Just as Sokka reached the door to his Art class, he felt himself being stopped by a rather firm grip. "Jet, what do you wa- oh! Zuko..." He stared down at the floor, slightly embarrassed by his faux pas, and hitched his bag higher up on his shoulder.

"I don't like to talk about Mai. I wasn't trying to...I wasn't just _not_ telling you something. I wa-"

"Zuko, chill. It's fine," Sokka interrupted, staring back up at the other boy with slight shock on his face. "I'm not mad or anything. We hung out for a few hours, not like we spent weeks in a foxhole together." He laughed quietly and gave a small wave to Haru as the boy passed behind Zuko.

"You took off really fast, I thought that you were pissed," Zuko said, honestly.

Sokka shook his head and grinned, barely noticing as his hand reached out and clasped over the tip of Zuko's tie. "Nah, I've just learned that- sorry!" He stopped when Zuko once again had to jerk his garment from his grip. "I didn't mean to...I just...habit, or something." He let out a nervous laugh and stuffed his hands into his pockets for safety. "I was saying that I've learned you don't really want me around when you have Jet on the brain."

Zuko shook his head in argument and played mindlessly with the end of his tie. "No, it's fine. I'm learning to separate reality from imposed reality," he said, his words tentative and unsure.

"You sound like your Uncle," Sokka laughed out.

"I should, he's the one that said it," Zuko answered, laughing right along with Sokka and earning a few odd looks from passers-by. "Yeah...so I should get to class," he said quickly, straightening himself and thumbing over his shoulder.

"Same here," Sokka offered, pointing back to his own classroom. "So...later?"

"Yeah, later." Zuko gave a small, unsure wave before clinging onto his bag straps and darting off down the hallway.

Sokka chewed on his bottom lip, waiting until Zuko was out of sight before he turned into the classroom and headed straight for the back. Several rows of easels, already holding blank canvases, were set up around the large, tiled room, each of them holding a small stool in front of them. The boy dropped his bag and took a seat at the easel right next to Haru's, then gave the other boy a tight grin.

"You don't like this class, do you?" Haru asked with a smirk.

Sokka shrugged and tilted his head in indifference. "I don't _not_ like it, I just don't like it either. I'm not much on art. Not really my thing, ya'know?" He picked up one of the paintbrushes sitting in the tray of the easel and flicked it around towards the blank canvas with a look of boredom glued to his face.

Haru merely shrugged in response and climbed out of his seat to get himself paints. "Come on, the board says to pick out two colors and take them back to our easels." He pointed up towards the large dry-erase board at the front of the room as if to prove that he was being honest, and waved his hand for Sokka to follow.

Sokka dropped the brush back into the tray and followed after Haru, then twisted his lips in annoyance at seeing what looked like over a hundred tiny paint bottles spread across a large table. "How are we supposed to pick two colors out of these?" he asked, lifting up the closest bottle.

"A lot of them are the same, so that more than one can get it. Just grab something," Haru offered, lifting up a bottle of lime green, which he immediately rejected.

"I don't wanna_ just grab something_," Sokka argued. "No telling what he's gonna make us do with them. Last thing I want is to be stuck using this color for the rest of the year," he added, holding up a bottle of deep pink. He made a disgusted face at the color and slid it back into the place he had lifted it from. "Can I ask you something?" he asked, stuffing one hand into his pocket and twisting it around.

"Sure," Haru said with an indifferent shrug as he picked up, and kept, a bottle of light brown.

"Okay, so I usually don't like the whole...rumors thing and I do not like talking behind people's back bec-"

"You're a good guy, I get it, just ask your question," Haru laughed.

"Well, I was wondering if you knew the deal between Jet and Zuko," Sokka muttered, his eyes staying firm on the bottle in front of him. "Why do they not get along?"

Haru gave a small snort and cut his eyes over at Sokka. "I don't know too much, 'cause I don't really listen to that rumor crud either, but..." He trailed off and tilted his head slightly as though he were considering his words. "Well, there was this Halloween party a while back and I sorta started dancing and talking to this one girl and she was chatty, I mean very, very chatty and she started going on about Zuko and her best friend dating. Well, long story, and I do mean long, boring, giggly story, short...they used to be friends and Jet slept with...I think her name was April."

"Mai?" Sokka asked, quietly, his eyes still perusing the bottles.

"Yeah, Mai," Haru corrected with a laugh. He picked up a bottle of olive green and shrugged at Sokka. "Don't know if that's true or not, just what I've heard and I _try_ not to hear."

Sokka nodded distantly as Haru headed back over to his easel. He picked up a bottle of sea-green, only to put it back just as quickly. "This is stupid," he muttered as he thumbed through several more colors.

"It isn't stupid," Huu, the Art Instructor, said as he stepped up on the other side of the table from Sokka. Huu was a rather short man and bore a thick middle with heavy arms. His hair was a murky grey and sat in thick, jagged sections around his head. His face was strong, most of it covered in a wild, unkempt beard, and his eyes were a light, twinkling blue. When he smiled, all of his teeth showed and his eyes turned up at the corners.

"It is. Making us pick like this. Can't you just assign us a color?" Sokka whined as he rejected a bottle of fuchsia.

"I could no sooner assign you a color than I could assign you a soul. Colors are an insight to our personal being. A way to express who we are when words cannot." Huu merely smirked when Sokka rolled his eyes. "Wait! Keep that one," he said when he saw the boy smile at a bottle of honey colored paint.

Sokka shrugged and tucked the paint into his hand, refusing to look up at the man. "So then what does that color say about me?" he asked, not holding back the sarcasm.

"Golden colors, like that one, they symbolize illumination and wisdom. Of course it is the way you pair such a color that matters the most," Huu answered, ignoring the boy's skeptical attitude.

"Okay, so if I pair this," Sokka held up the golden honey paint and smirked, "with...this one. What does it mean?" he asked, lifting up a bottle of light blue.

"The blue symbolizes healing and understanding. To pair those two denotes a great desire in yourself to heal or understand the object of your golden desires," Huu said, giving the boy a small nod.

Sokka scoffed and let out a strained, forced laugh as he shook his head. "No...it...doesn't," he said, trying to look the man in the eyes, though landing somewhere just over his shoulder. "I just like blue is all," he added, setting the bottle back down on the table.

"Keep it," Huu ordered, placing the bottle back into the boy's hand. "Whatever your reasons, you chose it, now you keep it," he said, smirking as he pushed Sokka back towards the boy's easel.

Sokka dropped onto his stool and glanced over at Haru, who was covering his mouth in an attempt not to laugh. "What is so funny?" he asked, indignantly.

Haru shook his head slowly and went about breaking the seals on his paint bottles. "Just wondering what your reason on that one is," he said with a shrug as he pointed to the honey colored paint still clutched in Sokka's hand.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Yes, the color things are real. If you're wondering about Haru, brown symbolizes stability and masculine qualities, while olive green represents peace. Alright, a little insight into the Jet&Zuko history here, but is it real? How much does Haru actually have right, considering his source is an unnamed girl (; ? Zuko seems to be coming around, poor little Sokka can't keep his hands off that tie and boy, Jet has some great timing! Leave me your thoughts. :D -Jenna**


	15. Making an Effort

**Chapter 15: Making an Effort**

**.**

Katara's arms were clutched tightly around her Algebra book as she stepped out of the classroom. Her light blue eyes were laced with the tiniest amount of wet around the bottoms from tears that were threatening to spill out of them. She reached up and used the sleeve of her dark purple sweater to wipe at the tears, then turned around to see Jin racing up to her.

Jin flicked her hair back out of her eyes and stared at Katara with worry. "Are you alright?" she asked, tugging on Katara's arm and leading her off to the side of the hallway. "Professor Kwan was totally out of line," she offered. "Look, math isn't everything, that woman is just a bitch."

"Who's a bi- Katara, what's wrong?" Sokka asked, pushing Jin gently to the side and turning his sister to face him. "Katara." When Katara pushed him away from her with her book and held it up to see, he nodded slowly and took the book from her hands, then stuffed it into the girl's bag. "Katara, it's alright. Jin's right, that woman is a bitch and you don't need to let her get you upset." He bent over slightly to see into his sister's face and frowned. "Let's go to lunch."

"Lunch makes _you_ feel better, Sokka, not me," Katara muttered, a faint smile breaking onto her lips.

"Yeah, but _Haru_ makes you feel better and he'll be at lunch," Sokka argued, steering his sister towards the cafeteria. He led the girl over to their usual table and glanced around for Haru. "He's probably already in line. Here, put your bag down, go get your lunch and I'm sure you'll feel a little better by the time you get back to the table."

Katara nodded and dropped her bag onto the table, then started towards the lunch line with Jin, who was giving Sokka the sweetest smile possible. "Aren't you coming?" Katara called back to her brother.

"Yeah," he answered, abandoning his bag and following behind the girls. Sokka had just stepped into line behind Katara when Zuko came strolling over. "Hey," he said, grinning widely at the approaching boy.

"This stuff is lame, let's get out of here," Zuko said, jerking his head for Sokka to follow him.

Sokka was taken aback at the other boy's words and shook his head. "We aren't allowed to leave, are we? I was told that it was closed campus here," he said, glancing around, nervously, as though he were plotting a super secret spy mission.

Zuko shrugged and started to turn away. "It is. So...are you coming or not?" he asked, starting off towards the cafeteria doors.

"Yeah! Wait," Sokka cried out. "I gotta get my bag." He raced back over to the table and grinned at Haru, who was just sitting down with his lunch tray. "Just uh...getting my bag," he said, pointing to it and lifting it up onto his shoulder. "See you later," he added with a wave as he rushed back towards Zuko and fell into step beside him so they could walk out of the cafeteria together. "Won't we get in trouble for this?"

"We could," Zuko answered with a smirk. "Detention at the most, really. It's worth it, trust me. Leave your bag here," he added, leading the way to Sokka's locker and waiting for him to stash it away. "Come on," he said, waving his hand and once again leading the way out of the school.

Sokka was oddly silent as the two walked the six blocks to the Makapu Cafe, he kept his hands down in his pockets and his eyes on the ground. "We eat outside?" he asked as they stepped up to the building, giving Zuko a smile when the boy nodded.

The Makapu Cafe was a tiny, round building, which housed the kitchen, itself. The outer walls were lined all around with strips of wood, resembling the base of a palm tree, and the top sat a decorated, green roof, made to look like the palm tree leaves. One area of the roof extended out over half a dozen wooden picnic table. Close to the tables was a large menu board listing out the dishes the cafe served, and a window that Sokka assumed you were to order at.

"That looks good," Sokka said, pointing towards a picture of a dumpling bowl.

"It is," Zuko said, dryly before he headed over to the window and ordered two servings of them. He paid, despite Sokka's protest and dropped himself onto the bench of the nearest table. "Least I can do, pay for lunch, after all I've gone and turned you criminal," he said with a laugh.

Sokka took a seat just opposite of Zuko and let his hands sit up on the table, near the other boy. "I guess you're right, first sneaking off campus for lunch, next, we'll be robbing banks and breaking into prisons together," he said with a laugh. "Not a big deal, just detention, like you said." He snagged hold of the tip of the boy's tie again and twisted it through his fingers.

"Sokka, what is your deal?" Zuko asked, sliding his tie from the boy's grip. "Here, you like it so much, then you wear it." He lifted the loosened tie from over his head, then turned it around and held it out to Sokka. "Go on," he said, shaking the silk when the boy made no move for it.

Sokka slowly reached out and took the tie from Zuko, letting the fabric slip between his fingers with a smile on his face. He pulled it around his neck and stared down at it, flicking the end around, playfully. "I can wear it all day?" he asked with a grin as he looked back up at Zuko.

"You can wear it all week if it makes you that dang happy," Zuko sighed out, rolling his eyes at the other boy. He jumped up to get the order when the server appeared back at the window, then carried the food back over to the table. "Don't get food on it," he said, pointing his finger threateningly at Sokka.

"Zuko, you've seen me eat. You really think I would let food go anywhere other than my mouth?" Sokka asked, this time rolling his eyes at the other boy. He flipped it back over his shoulder just to show good measure and poked down into his bowl. "Looks better than on the picture," he said with a grin. He poked at his meal a few more times, then laid down his chopsticks. "Why are we here?"

"Because, the school food sucks," Zuko answered with a full mouth and a confused smile.

"I mean why are _we_ here. Why didn't you just come alone or ask someone else? Why did you ask me?" Sokka asked, pushing his bowl away to lean forward on the table.

"Why do you have to ask so many questions?" Zuko asked, now stabbing at his food with more force than necessary.

Sokka sighed and nodded his head, though he had no real to be nodding, then pulled his bowl back over to himself. "Okay, I won't question it, I'll just...enjoy it while it lasts."

"What do you mean_ while it lasts_?" Zuko snapped, narrowing his golden eyes at Sokka.

Sokka held up his hands in surrender and shook his head. "I'm just saying, last time...well, I thought you were warming up before and you went all weird and cold on me again. I just don't like being jerked around, ya'know? When I'm friends with someone, then I'm friends with them. Not if I'm in a good mood or if the weather is nice, all the time, so I expect my friends to be the same way."

Zuko took a deep breath and chewed on his bottom lip in thought. "Look, Sokka...I'm pretty impatient and I get mad _really_ easy and I don't get along with about ninety nine percent of people that I meet, but I am making an effort here and if that isn't good enough then you ca-"

"It is," Sokka interrupted with a smile. "An effort, I'll take. As long as you mean it," he said, shifting his bowl in front of him. "You know, I don't..._always_ get along with people either. This may be hard to believe, but most people find me rather annoying." He shrugged lightly as he started in on his lunch.

"Really? I can't image why," Zuko said with a smirk as he went back to his own food.

The two ate in silence for the next half hour, occasionally glancing up from their bowls to look around at a loud noise or another customer as they came up to the cafe. Sokka finished first and carried his bowl up to the returns slot, then sat back down on the same side of the bench as Zuko.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked as he finished off the last of his lunch.

"I don't know, actually. I...just sat down, I wasn't thinking about it," Sokka answered, his cheeks tinting with the faintest of pink around the tops. "I'll move," he said, sheepishly.

"It's fine. I'm done, we can go," Zuko responded, his voice on the edge of annoyance. He carried his bowl over to the return, then turned back towards Sokka, who was now standing behind him. "Let's get back, don't wanna be late for next class."

"I don't have next class. Free period," Sokka said, distantly as he turned back towards the school and tucked one hand into his pocket, while the other pulled the black, silk tie back to proper hanging position and brushed over it.

"I have Geometry," Zuko answered with a groan. When Sokka gave him a confused look, he let out a laugh. "Yeah, I'm not the best in that class. Failed it last year," he said, shrugging it off and laughing harder. "If they could find a better teacher, maybe, that woman is such a bitch."

"She made my sister cry today," Sokka added, shaking his head at the thought. "I mean she hasn't really done anything to me, but I still don't like her."

Zuko snorted a laugh and glanced over at Sokka. "That's 'cause you're in her _special_ class," he said, raising his eyebrows and shoving the other boy on the shoulder.

"Hey," Sokka cried out, flinging his arms to keep his balance. "I'm not in a special class, it's just...different." He tilted his head and poked at his lip ring with his tongue. "I can't help it, I'm a numbers guy. Always have been. Now you stick all of that reading in front of me, I am lost. I didn't even read the assignment from Professor Feng. I just asked Katara what it was about. She's the one who's always reading somethin' or the other."

Zuko gave a non-committal hum and pulled open the door to the school just in time for the bell to ring to signal next class. "Perfect timing," he said, pointing up randomly to indicate the sound of the bell. "See you later," he said, giving the boy a small wave before turning and heading off down the hall.

Sokka didn't have a chance to respond before Zuko was out of sight. He smiled in the direction that he had disappeared to smoothed his hand down over his hair to make sure he hadn't gotten it mussed in the breeze. His eyes wandered aimlessly around the hallway, unsure of what he wanted to do, then finally, he settled on retrieving his bag from his locker and heading off for the cafeteria, where many students went to do studies during their free period.

"That looks way better on you," Jet called out as he rushed up to Sokka and flicked his hand across the tie hanging around the boy's neck. "Where you headed?"

"Cafeteria," Sokka answered, giving the other boy a weak smile and adjusting the tie back properly.

"You missed lunch. You don't _miss_ lunch, so where did ya go?" Jet asked, flashing Sokka a charmingly crooked grin and following him towards the cafeteria.

Sokka cut his eyes over at Jet and flicked a strand of hair from in front of his eyes so that he could see him better. "Went to a place down the street, no big deal. Didn't get caught."

Jet frowned at hearing the answer and grabbed on to Sokka's arm, tightly. He tugged the boy to the side of the hallway and pushed him back against the door to a darkened classroom. His hand released the boy's arm and moved up to slip behind his neck, while his other hand took a firm hold of the boy's waist. Without warning, he crashed his lips against Sokka's and stepped into him.

Sokka gasped into the kiss and pushed against Jet's chest, breaking their lips apart. "Jet...don't," he whispered, continuing to push the boy until his hands were off of Sokka's body.

"Don't? Why not?" Jet asked, staring hard at Sokka with confusion. "I thought we were _okay_ now, all forgiven, move along."

"We are," Sokka argued. "But-but that doesn't mean I want to...kiss you." He reached up and drug the side of his hand across his mouth in an effort to erase the small deed.

"Why not?" Jet repeated. "You think I'm hot, right?"

"Yes," Sokka answered, refusing to look up at the boy.

"You liked kissing me before, right?"

"Yes."

"And you don't have a problem with me, right?"

"Right."

"Then why don't you want this?" Jet asked, slipping his hand back around Sokka's waist.

Sokka pushed Jet's hand away and side stepped out into the open of the hallway. "It just...doesn't feel..._right_. I'm sorry. I can't explain it, I just don't want it."

Jet shifted his weight between feet and drug one hand through his hair. He stared hard at Sokka's flustered face and let his eyes wander down to the black silk hanging over his chest. "You like him," he said, his voice flush with realization. "You like _him_. What part of girlfriend did you not catch earlier? Girlfriend. Girl. Female! Zuko is dating a girl," he said, his voice growing more frustrated with every word to the point he was drawing a bit of attention to passers-by.

"So that was for my benefit. That little fight you tried to start in class. Jet, I'm not interested in Zuko. He's a nice guy, but yeah, I'm not in to trying to get with straight guys. He's a friend, or is becoming one at least, and that doesn't have anything to do with whether I want to kiss _you_ or not." Sokka shook his head in frustration and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck.

"I don't believe you. I think you have a thing for him and that's why you're rejecting me," Jet said, his voice honest and his face cold.

"It doesn't matter what you do or don't believe, _Jet_. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to do some studying." Sokka turned on his heel and walked swiftly towards the cafeteria, hoping that Jet wasn't following. His fingers reached up and mindlessly grazed over the silk as he stepped through a crowd of people coming out of the room.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Okay, thoughts? Is Sokka lying through his teeth or does he not realize that he is falling for Mr. Angst? Anyways...leave me some opinions on what you think is going on and what's in store. :D -Jenna**


	16. In the Jungle

**Chapter 16: In the Jungle**

**.**

_Tap_. _Tap_. _Tap_.

Sokka sighed and shifted in his seat. He was sitting at one of the cafeteria tables, bent over his History text book, one arm on the table to support his head, the other hand tuning pages. His dark brown hair was creating a veil on the sides of his face, draping around it and blocking his expression from view.

_Tap_. _Tap_. _Tap_.

Sokka sighed again and cut his eyes towards Joo Dee, who was sitting at the same table. She sat tall, her posture pristine, looking down at a text book that Sokka couldn't see. In one hand, she held a pen, rapping it on the table. The sound was small, but in the almost silent cafeteria, it was piercing into Sokka's thoughts and driving him mad.

_Tap_. _Tap_. _Tap_.

"Joo Dee," Sokka snapped, quietly, flashing the girl a tight grin when she looked up at him. "Could you maybe...not do that? Please," he asked, pointing towards the girl's pen.

Joo Dee gave Sokka an apologetic smile and laid her pen down on the table. The two resumed their reading in silence, only the sound of an occasional turning page or a pen moving over paper breaking the quiet. The peacefulness continued for about ten minutes.

_Tap_. _Tap_. _Tap_.

Sokka groaned and closed his book with a loud thud. He lifted his bag to the table and started stowing his things away.

"Sokka, I'm sorry," Joo Dee said, quickly, her hand reaching towards him. "I won't do it anymore, I'll give you the pen."

Sokka shook his head and smiled as kindly as he could. "It's alright, really. I don't even feel like reading this mess right now. I need a walk or something...fresh air." He stood up and pulled his bag over his head, letting it hang on his shoulder. "Really, it's fine," he repeated, seeing the slightly upset look on the girl's face. "Really!"

"You sure?" Joo Dee asked, her mouth twisting in disbelief.

"Positive," Sokka answered, shaking his head at her stubbornness. "I'll see you later," he said, giving the girl a wave as he headed out of the cafeteria. He pushed his way to the school grounds and over towards the side steps that lead to a separate Gym entrance. His bag slid to the ground as he lowered himself onto the middle step and leaned back casually. The sun was beaming straight onto his face, warming him to the point that he pushed up his sleeves, despite the chill in the air around him.

Sokka didn't even turn around when he heard the gymnasium door push open behind him. He let his head loll to the side as a figure dropped onto the step next to him and stared over. "Hey," he said meekly, turning his attention to a near-by bird, for no reason other than the need of something to look at other than Jet's smirking face.

"Thought you were hanging in the caf," Jet said, shoving a fresh toothpick between his teeth and starting to chew at it.

"Changed my mind," Sokka answered. "Is that a crime?"

"Harsh much?" Jet asked with a laugh. "I was just asking." He leaned back against the hand rails and stared at Sokka for a moment, trying not to pay attention to the way the boy's fingers flicked at the base of the tie hanging around his neck. After a few minutes, he couldn't bear the silence anymore.

"You know, I have a-" Jet started, his words coming out at the same time Sokka voiced, "Look, I shouldn't have been so-" Both boys sent each other an amused grin, then Jet held his hand out to indicate for Sokka to go first.

"I was saying...I shouldn't have been so quick to...reject you earlier. I just...I don't... I don't know," Sokka said, his voice growing more hesitant with each word. "What were you going to say?" he asked, eager to deflect the attention from what he was saying.

Jet pulled the toothpick from his mouth and licked over his lips, then slid closer to Sokka. He reached out and trailed his fingers over the tie, giving it a sharp thump as he reached the tip. "I was going to say that I have a silk tie too. If I woulda known it was so simple to get your affections, I woulda worn it."

Sokka pursed his lips in annoyance at the boy's words and tossed the tie over his shoulder to keep it from view. "First of all, it takes more than a neck garment to get my _affections_ and Zuko, as you are implying, does not have my affections."

"Okay." Jet pulled his lips into a cocky smile and leaned over against the steps, his eyes locked hard onto Sokka's face. "Not even a little?" he asked after a few moments of awkward silence. "You don't have to lie to me, man. I see the way you look at him. It's...well, it makes me kinda mad as hell, but I get it."

"I look at him like a friend," Sokka argued, his voice in no way backing up his words.

Jet snorted a small laugh and reached his hand out, then let it casually graze across the back of Sokka's neck, sliding over the silk. "Whatever you say, Sokka," he whispered.

"Did you really sleep with his girlfriend?" Sokka asked, the words pouring out before he could bit his tongue. He held his hand up and shook his head, quickly. "No. Sorry! Just...just don't answer that, I'm sorry. I shouldn't hav-"

"Yes."

Sokka stopped talking at the oh-so casual answer that came from Jet. He raised his eyebrows and looked over at the boy, his commitment to _staying out of it_ instantly vanished. "Yes? Just like that, you say yes?"

"You want me to lie?"

"Well, no, but still, I-I thought you'd...I don't know," Sokka stuttered out, confusion overtaking him.

"It isn't all cut and dry, okay? Who told you that anyways? Not him, I know it wasn't him." Jet shifted on the step and pulled his hand away from Sokka's neck. "Look, it isn't just...it isn't as simple as that. There were extenuating circumstances and we...there was...I just..." He trailed off and stared down into his lap, one hand tossing the mangled piece of wood onto the ground in front of him.

"You don't have to explain it to me," Sokka said, turning back towards Jet. "I shouldn't have asked." He purposely ignored the other boy's inquiry as to where he had gotten his information and reached his hand over towards him as a gust of wind swept past them. He pushed the boy's hair back out of his eyes and gave him a half smile. "Are you _really_ planning on going after my sister?"

Jet let out a genuine laugh and leaned closer to Sokka, his usually confident demeanor returning to him in a flash. "Not if I can have you instead." He gave the boy a wink and gaped as Sokka rolled his eyes. "What? What is that? You're all touching my hair and asking me that stuff, then you pull away when I fall for it. That isn't right," he said, still half laughing.

"I'm not _pulling_ _away_, it just kinda seems so fake, the way you do that stuff." Sokka pushed his own hair back away as another bit of wind rushed past the boys. "The whole winking and snapping back. You kinda come on a little strong, ya'know? It freaks me out a little."

"Really?" Jet raised one eyebrow and scooted closer to Sokka, closing what little space was between them. "Guy don't hit on you?"

"Sometimes, just not quite so...boldly," Sokka answered, grinning over at Jet. "Look, I'm not gonna lie here, I _do_ think you're really great, but I also think you're kinda...well, you're kind of a jerk. You're really arrogant and you come on really strong and you really seem to know just when to piss someone off and that's really -"

"I get what you're saying, but if you say _really_ again, I'm really gonna call you a chick." Jet forced out a small laugh and let his fingers play through Sokka's hair. "I am who I am, I've always been this way. I'm not gonna change who I am just to get with one guy."

"I didn't say that," Sokka snapped, angrily. "I _wouldn't_ say that."

Jet held up his hands in surrender and leaned back. "Easy, tiger, I was just saying."

"Well don't say."

"Okay, geesh, sorry."

Sokka heaved a loud sigh and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and his face into his hands. "No, you're fine, I just... I think you're right."

"About?"

"About Zuko." Sokka rubbed his hands over his face and threw a tentative glance towards Jet. "I think I might like him, _that_ _way_. Your little girlfriend stunt didn't do anything, either, so you just looked like an ass there, because I already figured that Zuko was into chicks." The _I-told-you-so_ look on Jet's face made Sokka growl at himself. "He doesn't like guys?"

"Nope," Jet laughed out.

"Not even a little?"

"Not even a little."

"Not in the slightest off chance of a single possibility?"

"Not in the slightest of any slight chances, Sokka." Jet was grinning in a pleased with himself way and licked over his lips, his eyes moving onto Sokka's tongue that was gently poking at the boy's tongue ring. "He's easy to get over," he whispered, brushing his thumb along the boy's jawline and hooking under his chin.

"How do you know that?" Sokka whispered back, his heart beating up into his throat at the clear intention on Jet's face as the boy turned him to face him.

Jet leaned over, his lips hovering just on Sokka's, then whispered, "I just know." He let his hand smooth back to rest behind Sokka's neck, then let his eyes meet the other boy's. "Want me to show you?" he asked, speaking almost against the boy's lips.

There wasn't time for Sokka to answer before the gymnasium door popped open, with a loud slam against the wall. Coach Zhao stood in the doorway, his eyes narrowed at the scene on the steps. "You're supposed to be doing your homework," the man growled at Jet, watching in annoyance as the boy climbed to his feet and nodded.

Jet threw a glance back towards Sokka and gave him a parting wink before stepping past his father into the gymnasium.

Coach Zhao looked down at Sokka with a stern face and narrowed his eyes further. "Don't you have homework?" he growled. "Get off my steps."

Sokka leapt to his feet and grabbed onto his bag, then hurried away from the side steps without a second glance. His mind was spinning with confusion by the time he reached the cafeteria once again and settled in the seat he had forsaken earlier. He let his head fall onto the table and twisted his face in annoyance with himself.

"Change your mind about the fresh air?" Joo Dee asked, sliding her pen away in a discreet manner.

"Fresh air is confusing," Sokka answered, half-whined, half-laughed.

"That's a new one," Joo Dee said, raising her eyebrows in amusement at Sokka's state.

"Is Jet a bad guy?" Sokka asked, sitting up properly.

Joo Dee gave the boy a look of shock and shrugged slightly. "I don't...I mean I-I don't think...I haven't really, um...well he -"

"Haru doesn't like him."

"No, he doesn't."

"Haru is a good guy."

"Yes, he is."

"Why doesn't he like him?"

"Oh, well...I don't think that -" The sound of the bell made Joo Dee's face light up with a smile. "Don't wanna be late for class," she said, quickly stuffing her things into her bag with no regard. "See you later." She started off towards the doors, then stopped and turned around to face Sokka again. "I don't know why Haru doesn't like Jet. I came here six years ago, and he didn't like him then. I'm sorry."

Sokka nodded and watched as the girl made her way out of the cafeteria. With another sigh, he climbed to his feet and followed after, heading in the direction of the music room. It wasn't until he reached the door that the full weight of realization that he would have to see Zuko and Jet again hit him. He took a deep breath and pulled open the door, then smiled over at Zuko, who looked up at the sound. "Hey," he said, distantly as he took the seat next to the boy.

Zuko closed over the notebook he had been writing in and gave the other boy a huge smile. "Hey, why can't you play with cheetahs in the jungle?" he asked, still grinning. "Wait, no...why can't you play cards with cheetahs...no!" He reached up and slapped his hand against his head and shook his head. "Damn it," he muttered.

Sokka covered his mouth to hide his laughter and nudged the other boy's shoulder. "It's alright, just start over," he said, his voice shaky with laughter.

"Okay," Zuko groaned. "But I already ruined it. It was _supposed_ to go why...can't you play cards...in the jungle," he said, slowly. "Because there's too many cheetahs." He threw his hand up and sighed, his face clearly annoyed.

"That's funny," Sokka offered.

"Would have been if I hadn't screwed it up," Zuko muttered, sitting back in his chair.

Sokka gave the other boy a warm smile and pat him on the shoulder. He glanced around the room, but saw no sign of Jet.

Class started and went by with no sign of Jet what-so-ever.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Thought? Anyone? I just wanna say that this story is officially my most ****reviewed one now. Thank you all so much for the support and time. To all my readers that aren't reviewing, thank you so much for following the story! :D -Jenna**

**Those of you wanting to know about the whole Color Theory thing, I have added the link to my Profile page. Near the bottom, just above the disclaimer.**


	17. A Fleeting Moment

**Chapter 17: A Fleeting Moment**

**.**

Sokka was sitting on the end of his bed, book in hand, reading over a sentence for the third time. His poor attempt at focusing on his studies was interrupted by the sudden and rather loud entrance by Katara. The girl spilled into the room, giggling a fit as Haru had his hands on her side, tickling her. Sokka looked up and flashed the two a grin as they quickly regained their composure and gave an awkward glance towards each other.

"I'll go," Sokka said, quickly, snapping his book closed and tossing it over onto his desk.

"You don't have to go," Katara offered, though her voice was less than convincing.

Sokka merely chuckled at his sister and climbed off the bed. "It's alright, I wasn't getting anywhere in that anyways," he answered, flicking off the stereo. "I'm gonna go for a walk. Tell Gran I'll be back later if she comes home first." He gave them both a small wave and pulled the sleeves down on his shirt. Once outside, Sokka shivered a bit at the chill in the air and wished that he had bothered to grab his jacket. Feeling too lazy to return for it, he bore the weather and started off towards the Jasmine Dragon, sticking to underneath the street lamps for light to guide him in the dark.

The door was locked on the Tea Shoppe when the boy arrived, but Iroh was just at the counter and allowed him entrance. "Good to see you, Sokka. I've already cleaned up, but if you're wanting some tea I can make it," the old man offered.

Sokka shook his head and waved off the offer. "Nah, I didn't come for tea, but thanks," he answered. "I came to see Zuko. I forgot to return something of his earlier." He flipped at the end of the black silk tie that still lay around his neck.

"In the back," Iroh answered with a simple smile.

The blue eyed boy nodded and headed into the back room of the shoppe. He wasn't prepared for what he would see when he pushed open the door. Zuko was standing over the sink, rinsing a load of cups and sticking them over onto the drying rack. The boy's head was nodding in time with the words he was singing to himself. Sokka almost felt intrusive to watch something like this without Zuko knowing, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything to stop it. Zuko's voice, he thought, was amazing and he didn't dare interrupt. He leaned against the wall and watched.

Zuko reached up and shut off the water, ending his singing as he did. He gathered up a handful of the dry cups he had washed earlier and turned around, almost dropping everything when his eyes fell over Sokka. The two boys stared at each other for a moment, neither wanting to be the first to break the awkward silence. Sokka stood up straight and took some of the cups from Zuko's hand, not able to restrain the huge grin that was breaking out over his face.

"You should have said something," Zuko finally said as he put away the cups and grabbed a hand towel.

"If I had said something, you woulda stopped," Sokka laughed out. "You...you sound nice," he added, a faint blush topping his cheeks. He rubbed his hand down over his face and pulled himself together. "No, you're right, I shouldn't have intruded. Are you pissed?"

Zuko was tempted to say yes, but truth-be-told, he wasn't. He shook his head at the boy and gave him a small smile. "I should be, but I'm not." He stared over at Sokka and after a long silence, he held out his hands. "Did you want something?" he asked.

"Oh!" Sokka laughed at himself and pulled the tie from around his neck. "I came to give this back." He held it out and wiggled it a bit, then stuffed his hands down into his pocket after Zuko took it. "So..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"So," Zuko repeated, staring down at his tie. "You didn't have to bring it back like this, you coulda given it back at school." He shrugged and turned his back on Sokka, heading for the stairs to the apartment. "You coming?" he called back without turning around.

Sokka had to restrain the urge to let out a rather un-manly squeal at the question. He licked over his lips and followed Zuko in silence. The tiny apartment over the tea shoppe wasn't what Sokka expected. To one side there was a large bed, decorated in what had to be at least ten different blankets. The art on the walls around it was all tea based and most of it various leaf paintings. In the furthest corner away from it, sat a smaller bed, surrounded with a mess of books, notebooks, clothes and soda cans. Propped up next to the bed was a guitar with a bright red fire burst painted over it.

Sokka didn't even realize he was staring at the guitar until Zuko said, "Ursa."

"What?" he asked, spinning around to face Zuko.

"The guitar. Her name is Ursa," Zuko clarified.

"You named your guitar?" Sokka asked with a laugh as he walked over to it. "Can I?" He reached his hand out and hovered it just above the neck, waiting for permission to pick it up.

"Everyone does," Zuko spat in defense. He walked around Sokka and lifted the guitar from the stand. "Sit," he ordered, pointing to the floor beside his bed.

Sokka did as he was told and dropped into the floor. He pushed aside a scattering of pens and settled himself with his back against the bed. Zuko joined the other boy on the floor and laid the guitar gently into Sokka's lap.

"Careful, okay. My mom gave me this," Zuko said, quietly. "That was her name...Ursa."

"Was?" Sokka asked, quietly, picking up on the past tense of Zuko's words. He ran his hand softly over the body of the guitar.

"She's dead," Zuko answered, bluntly. "I don't wanna talk about it though." He set his mouth firm and shifted closer to Sokka, grabbing a hold of the guitar and positioning it properly in his hands. "Hold it like this. Give me your hand," he snapped, taking the boy's fingers and placing them properly on the strings at the neck.

Zuko began to speak in the same tone as a Professor would. Sokka stared at the boy, not even listening to what he was saying, though he occasionally caught words like _chord_, _fingering_ and a rather long sentence about the letter m being minor. It wasn't as though Sokka was deliberately ignoring the other boy, he just couldn't help it. He stared hard into the gold of Zuko's eyes and poked at his lips ring, becoming lost in his own thoughts.

Zuko stopped speaking and glanced over at Sokka's face with a knowing look. "You aren't listening to me, are you?" he asked with a grin. "Sokka...Sokka!" He rapped his finger on the side of the other boy's head, making Sokka flinch and look embarrassed.

"Sorry." Sokka gave the other boy a sheepish grin and looked down at the guitar.

"It's alright. I did get a little technical there." Zuko leaned across the other boy and placed Sokka's fingers back onto the neck of the guitar. "This is a chord," he said with a simple tone, his hand staying over the boy's. He turned his head and grinned.

Sokka swallowed hard and stared at Zuko with wide eyes. Jet's words were screaming through the boy's brain, repeating _not in the slightest of any slight chances_. He bit down hard on the side of his bottom lip and locked his eyes onto Zuko's. "A...a chord," he repeated in a broken whisper.

"Yeah..." Zuko whispered back, pressing his lips together so tightly they went pale. Suddenly, he was very aware of the exact coloring of Sokka's eyes; the way the icy blue faded into a darker blue just around the edges and how large his pupils were at that moment. He couldn't help but to notice how oddly close they were to each other, close enough to feel Sokka's heated breath against his face and know that the boy had been chewing mint gum recently. His breath hitched in his throat, shooting a small pain down into his chest.

Sokka swallowed down another gulp of air and blinked over his drying eyes. "Zuko?" he breathed out, his voice barely carrying to the other boy's ears.

"What?" Zuko answered, just as quietly. He didn't even realize he was moving until his nose brushed gently against the other boy's. His eyes closed and he held his breath, not even certain what he was doing.

Sokka's heart raced so fast he was sure it was going to beat right out of his chest and onto the floor. He let out a ragged breath and put his hand up on Zuko's chest, then slowly pushed the boy away from him. "You...girlfriend," he muttered out, half of his sentence absolutely incoherent.

"Girlfriend," Zuko repeated, dumbly, scooting back away from Sokka and pulling his hand back through his hair. "I wasn't...I mean that...I didn't..." He shook his head and pulled himself to his feet, turning his back on Sokka. "You should go."

"I should go," Sokka agreed, laying the boy's guitar up on the bed. "I...I'm sorry," he whispered as he hurried over to the door and pulled it open.

"You're sorry?" Zuko asked, his voice angry. "What the hell are you sorry about?"

Sokka turned around and opened his mouth to answer, but honestly couldn't think of one. He had no reason to be sorry, he hadn't done anything wrong. "I don't know, it just seemed like the thing to say." He stared down at his feet and resisted the urge to apologize again.

"Well don't say that," Zuko growled. "You don't apologize for-for nothing," he argued, flinging his hands to elaborate his words. "That was- I didn't- I just...and you were- and I-I should- you should go." He pointed out of the door with a firm look on his face.

Sokka nodded and turned around, only to feel Zuko's hand on his shoulder. "You're just gonna go?" Zuko growled, forcing the boy to turn around and face him.

"You told me to!" Sokka cried out. "Twice!"

"So you're just gonna do it?" Zuko narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "You're confusing, ya'know that?"

"I'm confusing?" Sokka couldn't help but laugh at the statement. "Are we gonna have this fight again? I don't wanna fight with you."

Zuko closed his mouth and stared at Sokka with concentration. "We aren't fighting. I'm just confused."

"About?"

"About...you. You wanted me to kiss you. I saw it, okay? I'm not stupid, Sokka, you were practically swallowing your own tongue." Zuko's eyes fixed hard onto the other boy's and he let out an indignant huff.

Sokka laughed quietly and licked his lips. "It doesn't matter, you have a girlfriend."

"And if I didn't?"

"You do."

"I...I don't." Zuko dropped his eyes to the floor and scuffed his toe on the carpet. "Not anymore. Not since about three hours ago, actually. She...she came by, but that doesn't matter, you don't need details, just... I don't."

Sokka put his hands down into his pockets and ran over Jet's words one more time. "Not in the slightest of any slight chances," he muttered, not meaning to say it aloud.

"What?"

"What?"

"You just said something."

"No, I didn't."

"You did too. You just said slight chances something."

Sokka put his hand over his mouth at realizing he had spoken out loud. "I was- it was something that... I don't wanna tell you."

Zuko raised his eyebrows and folded his arms over his chest. He shifted his weight and stared at Sokka, waiting for the boy to answer him.

"Okay, it was something Jet said!" Sokka caved, throwing his hands up in defeat. "I'm sorry. It was something he told me earlier today. He said, well I said that I...that I kinda liked you and he said that I shouldn't and that you weren't, ya'know." He pointed to himself.

"Gay?"

"Yeah."

"I'm...I'm not gay," Zuko huffed, looking off to the side at nothing in particular.

"You looked pretty gay when you were about to kiss me!" Sokka argued, folding his arms and shooting the boy a smirk.

Zuko rolled his eyes and looked back at Sokka. "What did he say?"

"I asked if there was a chance you liked guys and he said there wasn't the slightest of a slight chance."

"Oh yeah?" Zuko asked with a growl. "How's this for slight chances?" He reached out and seized hold of Sokka's arms, then pushed the boy back against the wall right next to the doorway.

Sokka's eyes widened as his back hit the wall a bit harder than he expected. He flung his hands out to catch his balance as he felt Zuko's hand grab onto his waist and the boy's fingers dig into his side. Zuko reached up and pushed his hand into Sokka's hair, tightening his fingers around the boy's dark brown locks and holding his head in place. Sokka gasped and started to speak, but his words were devoured by Zuko's lips pressing roughly against his own. Sokka's entire body melted against the wall and he whimpered quietly into the kiss. He moved his lips back against Zuko's with the same amount of fiery force and lifted one hand to the boy's neck.

Zuko's arms wrapped around the other boy's waist and he pressed against him, smiling onto Sokka's lips as the boy whimpered yet again. He pulled back just enough to look into Sokka's eyes and licked his lips, smirking as he tasted the remnants of mint.

"Zuko!"

The sound of Iroh's voice from down the stairs made the boy jump back and arrange himself. "I'm up here!" Zuko called back down. He looked back over at Sokka, who was staring at him in shock, and let out a nervous laugh. "You're...you're not gonna tell anyone about that, right?"

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Okay, so leave me some thoughts. Love it or hate it? I wanna know! On a side note, I am looking for someone to Beta this story. I make an occasional grammatical error that comes from being in a hurry or just a careless miss and I need someone who can pick those out. If you're interested, leave a review saying it or PM me and I'll check out your Beta profile. :D -Jenna**


	18. Of Memories & Meetings

**Chapter 18: Of Memories & Meetings**

**.**

It was a hot afternoon, right at the peak of Summer when the temperature gauges were reaching dangerously high. The ground was dry and broken; lawns growing brown from the water restrictions. Despite the overwhelming drought that was sweeping through Ba Sing Se, there was one tiny park, right in the middle of the city, where a pond could be found. This park was right across the street from the city government office building, causing it to often be populated with the rich and snotty children belonging to the politicians.

A young girl, no more than eight years in age, stood at the edge of the pond, trying her hardest to hit the turtle ducks with tiny rocks. The creatures would quack loudly and flutter a bit, then resume their position on the water. The girl shrieked with laughter and continued her assault. This drew a loud sigh from another girl, who was lounging out on the dry grass next to the pond.

"Your mother's going to be upset if she catches you doing that," the girl on the ground said to the other as she flicked back a strand of thick black hair.

The laughing girl merely shrugged and picked up a larger rock. "Like I care. Mother's too busy fawning over Zu Zu to care what I'm doing," she said, her voice cold and bitter.

"Azula!" A tall woman rushed up behind the young girl and pried the rock from her daughter's hand. "What have I told you about that? You're going to hurt one of them."

"That was kinda the point," Azula said with a high laugh.

The woman scowled the girl and pointed towards a near-by bench. "Sit. Now."

"Fine!" Azula huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Come on, Mai. I didn't wanna play there anymore anyways."

Ursa watched as her daughter and her friend hurried over to the ordered bench, then turned her attention to another child. A soft smile graced over the woman's face as she looked upon her ten year old son. The young boy was sprawled out on the grass underneath the shade of a tree, his feet kicked up behind him as he laid on his stomach. His messy black hair was fluttering slightly in the faint breeze and he kept reaching down, smoothing his hand out over the papers of the notebook in front of him.

"What are you writing?" Ursa asked as she knelt down beside her son. "Zuko?" she insisted as the boy ignored her. "Zuko." She reached out and shook his shoulder, making him startle and laugh at himself. "What are you writing?" she asked again, this time grinning right along with her son.

"Another song!" Zuko answered, sitting up on his knees. "See?" He held out the notebook to his mother as though it were an offering, staring at her in wide-eyed wonder as she read over his words.

"That's very good," Ursa said softly as she handed the notebook back over to the boy. "You're getting much better. I think...well, I have a feeling that you're going to get really good after your birthday next week."

Zuko's eyes widened and a large smile broke out over his face. "Why?" he asked, not able to contain his grin.

Ursa reached out and brushed the boy's hair back from his eyes, a smile gracing her face as well. "You'll see, hun. You'll see."

The young boy gave a rather dramatic sigh and mumbled, "Okay." He laid back out on the grass and went back to his writing. He was about to speak again, but the shrill laughter of his sister called the woman's attention away and forced her to once again save the turtle ducks from Azula.

A few minutes passed. Zuko was in his own private zone, tuning out the outside world; ignoring the screams from his sister, the pleas from his mother and the muttered disapproval from some of the near-by parents watching the scene. A tiny rock made contact with the side of Zuko's head. The boy barely noticed it. After a moment, a much larger rock made contact with his shoulder. Zuko sprung up to his knees, looking around with the expectation of seeing his sister. Instead, he spotted another boy.

The offender was a tall boy for his age of ten. He had short brown hair and a crooked smile. His eyes were fixed on Zuko in an analytical way, watching in interest at how the boy would react to the assault. After a short staring match, the boy stood up from leaning on the tree and walked over. "Who are you?" he asked, chewing like mad on a piece of gum.

Zuko narrowed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. "I'm the guy you're throwing rocks at. Who are you?" he asked with a snappy tone.

The boy let out a small laugh and dropped onto the ground next to Zuko. "Name's Jet." He offered his hand, but it went un-taken. "Fine, be that way. I was just goofing around."

"I'm Zuko," he answered quietly as he settled back down to sit on the grass. "Never seen you here before."

Jet shook his head and thumbed over his shoulder towards the government building. "My mom's applying for a job over there. I had to come along."

"Oh? My dad works there. What is your mom gonna do?"

Jet shrugged and kicked his feet out in front of him. "How should I know?" He rested his weight on his hands behind him, staring off in thought. After a long silence, he answered. "Probably cleaning the rooms. That's what she used to do at that snotty little rich kid school."

Zuko raised his eyebrows at the sudden change of the other boy's attitude. "You mean Fire Fountain Academy?" he asked dryly. When Jet nodded, Zuko pursed his lips. "I go to that school."

"Sucks for you," Jet answered with a small laugh. A long and tense silence cut between the boys, neither of them sure what to say to the other. Jet once again broke the awkwardness. "You wanna go splash those girls over there?" he asked, throwing a glance towards Azula and Mai, who were now sitting quietly at the pond's edge with Ursa.

"That's my sister and her friend."

"Oh. Never mind then," Jet sighed. He tipped his head back and let the boredom show clearly on his face.

"Hey, I was just telling you who they were, I still wanna go splash them!" Zuko said, eagerly as he folded closed his notebook and started to get up.

"What's that?" Jet reached up and swept the notebook from the other boy's hand and was flipping through it before Zuko could stop him. "What's all this? Poetry? You write poems, _Zuko_?" he asked with a laugh.

"No!" Zuko spat, indignantly. He dove forward and snatched his property back from Jet. "They're songs. Not poetry." His hand brushed across the cover of the notebook as though it had gotten dirty from the snatching.

Jet beamed at the other boy and nodded. "That's cool. Songs are cool!" He climbed to his feet and grabbed onto Zuko's arm, making him stand as well. "Now, let's go splash those girls."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"You're...you're not gonna tell anyone about that, right?"

The words were out of Zuko's mouth before he had a chance to think on them. Sokka's face fell into a mix of hurt and disappointment. The blue-eyed boy shook his head slowly and turned out of the room, disappearing down the stairway before Zuko had a chance to stop him. Not that he tried. Zuko merely stood in silence as Sokka rushed away. The doorway was soon filled with the boy's Uncle.

Iroh wore a small frown and a fixed his eyes onto Zuko. "What happened?" he asked softly.

"Nothing happened!" Zuko cried out, throwing his hands up like a shield and backing away. "Just...nothing, okay? Nothing happened." He stomped over to his bed and threw himself down onto it, just barely missing falling atop his guitar. His fingers reached out and ran along the strings; a small smile pulling at the boy's lips. "I kissed him," he confessed with uncertainty, not taking his eyes from the instrument.

"That sounds like more than nothing," Iroh said with a quiet laugh. "Why did he rush out of here looking upset?" he pushed.

"I told him not to tell anyone," Zuko sighed as he picked up his guitar and put it back onto its stand. "I didn't mean to."

"You didn't mean to kiss him or tell him not to tell anyone?"

"Both." Zuko sat back down on the edge of his bed and passed one hand through his messy black hair. "I shouldn't have done it." Without looking up, Zuko knew that his Uncle was about to ask the same question, so he answered early. "I shouldn't have said that to him."

Iroh nodded slowly and walked to the dresser, busying himself with a choice of what to wear to bed. He stayed silent, waiting. When he was starting to think that Zuko would offer no more insight of his own accord, the man pressed further. "You're afraid for people to know that you like him?"

"No." After a long pause, Zuko corrected himself. "I don't know."

"Maybe you're just afraid to like him at all," Iroh offered.

"Maybe."

"Do you like him?"

Zuko licked his lips and shrugged his shoulders. "I...I don't know."

"Well, you kissed him," Iroh said with a smirk, which he kept very hidden.

"I know."

"So you must like him."

"I don't! I mean...I don't know! I just don't know, okay?" Zuko yelled, his fists clenching at his sides. He growled at himself and stormed rather childishly into the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind him. He pressed his hands against the bathroom counter and stared up at his own reflection. His golden eyes were surrounded by a faint red and the bottoms had the smallest trace of wet against them. He brought one hand up to his face and ran the tip of his finger across the bottom of his scar, resisting the urge to scowl at himself in the mirror. Even now, after wearing it for almost a year, the feeling was odd to him. The edges were smooth and tight despite the dry and torn appearance they gave.

The boy shuddered slightly and dropped his hand to his lips. His eyes closed and he conjured up the short made memory of having Sokka's lips against his own. He could still taste the mint and something more, the simple taste that was Sokka all his own. He'd be lying to say he didn't like it. He played the scene over in his mind, smiling as he thought about the small sounds he provoked from the other boy. His fingers mindlessly parted as he remembered the way his fingers slipped through Sokka's hair. Soft hair. Very soft. Slowly, Zuko opened his eyes again and stared into his reflection. He shook his head and let his hands fall to his sides.

A quick shower was exactly what he needed. The steam filled the tiny bathroom and worked its way into the boy's senses, clearing his head and allowing him a moments peace from his confusion. He knew what he needed to do. Apologize. As for what he wanted to do...he would have to sleep on it.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"We can meet here again tomorrow?" Jet asked as he finished wringing dry his tee-shirt and pulled it back over his head. "Mom says she got the job, so I'll be back."

Zuko nodded at the other boy and shook the water from the tips of his hair. "Yeah, I'll ask my mom. She'll say yes though, she always does," he answered with a laugh. "If you're not busy next Saturday...well it's my birthday soon and there's this party. It'll be a bunch of kids from my school, but if you wa-"

"Party? Yeah, I'll come to a party." Jet's eyes sparkled with eagerness and his smile stretched as wide as was possible. "You're too cool to only hang out with those snobby kids anyways."

"Zuko, time to go!" Ursa called out to the boy. She had one hand locked around Azula's wrist, the girl frantically trying to pull away from her. Her face was shrouded in clear exhaustion, but she was still managing to smile at her son.

Zuko waved at his mother to show that he heard, then turned back to Jet. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow!" Jet called out as the other boy raced to his mother. He reached up and rubbed his hand through his hair, trying to fling the water from it. He couldn't help but laugh as he still wasn't sure how he and Zuko had managed to be overpowered and forced into the pond by the two younger girls.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: This chapter was a little shorter than I had hoped it would be. I'm a bit behind on account of some competitions and such that were sucking up my time. Then of course my Muse wanted a vacation. It was that or a raise and I really can't afford to pay him anymore, so he took a few days off. Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and don't be afraid to leave me a review. Thank you all so much for reading. This story has got so many faves and alerts on it. Not too mention all the wonderful reviews from you wonderful readers. I can't tell you how happy I am that people are enjoying this. :D -Jenna**


	19. Toast

**Chapter 19: Toast**

**.**

Tuesday morning was almost no different than any other in the tiny kitchen of the Crescent Island apartment. Gran Gran Kanna was busying herself with making breakfast and dishing it out onto plates. Katara sat in her seat, picking at her food and reading a book. The major difference on this morning was the absences of Sokka.

"Where's your brother?"

Katara looked up at the sound of her grandmother's voice and shrugged her shoulders. "In the room still, I guess," she answered before turning her attention back down to her book.

Gran Gran frowned and glanced towards an untouched plate piled high with bacon and eggs. She sat down a small serving plate which held a large mound of toast, then made her way down the hallway of the tiny apartment. "Sokka?" she called out quietly as she pushed open the bedroom door and looked inside.

Sokka looked up from the end of his bed and closed the magazine resting on his lap. "Yeah?"

"Breakfast is ready, come on. You don't wanna be late for school," the old woman answered before heading back to the kitchen.

Sokka stared at the empty doorway for far too long before sighing and climbing to his feet. He shoved his magazine down into his bag and dragged it along behind him as he walked to the kitchen. He poured himself down into his seat and stared at the food in front of him. For a moment, Sokka's eyes closed and he pushed the plate away from himself. "I'm not really hungry," he whispered.

Gran Gran stopped in her tracks and Katara's fork actually slipped from her hand and clattered down to her plate as she stared at her brother. "You...you can't be serious," she said with a confused laugh. "You're never _not_ hungry."

"Well, I'm not," Sokka growled, standing up from his seat and stomping through into the living room. He wrenched open the door and slung his bag up over his shoulder, ignoring his grandmother as she tried to call him back into the kitchen. He slammed the door behind him and pulled his hand back through his hair as a gust of wind blew it into his face.

The boy walked to school in silence, only the sound of the harsh wind daring to break the quiet. He kept his head down as he moved through the hallway and stood in front of his locker. Just after putting in his combination, he caught movement from the corner of his eye. "What?" he asked quietly, not even bothering to look at who it was.

Jet raised his eyebrows as he heard the dull tone in Sokka's voice. "What's wrong with you? Miss breakfast or something?" he teased.

"Shut up, Jet," Sokka muttered, making the other boy gasp in surprise. "Just leave me alone. I'm not in the mood for this."

Jet's mouth opened to respond, but he closed it upon seeing a new figure join them. He narrowed his eyes at Zuko and stepped a bit closer to Sokka. "What do you want?"

Zuko smirked a bit at seeing Jet's territorial behavior. He ducked his head to the floor and put his fingers against his lips to keep from saying anything foolish. After a deep breath and thinking over his words, he addressed Sokka directly. "Can we talk a minute?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Sokka answered without a glance in Zuko's direction. He stuffed his unneeded book into his locker and slammed the metal door closed.

"Yes, there is." Zuko reached out and grabbed Sokka's arm when the boy tried to make a break for it. "Sokka, please. Just talk to me a minute."

Sokka pulled his arm free and shook his head. "No. Okay, I don't wanna talk to you right now. If you want your damn answer then it's _no_. I didn't and I won't." He didn't want to elaborate any further with Jet standing so close. "Are we done now?"

"No, we're not done," Zuko snapped.

"He doesn't wanna talk to you," Jet cut in.

"I don't wanna talk to either of you," Sokka clarified as he stepped out from between them. "I'm not a freaking zebra carcass for you two to pull at. Just leave me alone." He shifted his bag up higher on his shoulder and started down the hallway. He wasn't going in the proper direction for class, but he didn't care.

"Sokka!" Zuko chased after the other boy, grabbing onto his wrist and forcing him to stop. "I'm sorry. Okay? Just stop and let me explain for a minute, would you?" He had to keep moving his head to make eye contact with Sokka as the boy was doing his best to avoid it. "One minute and if you're still mad then I'll leave you alone. I promise."

Sokka ran his tongue over his teeth and pulled his arm from Zuko's grip. "Fine. One minute."

Zuko shifted slightly and swallowed back air. He took Sokka's arm once again and led him over to the wall to get out of the way from other students. "I'm sorry about everything. I...I shouldn't have said what I did."

Sokka glanced up from the top of his eyes and looked at Zuko's face. A small, faint trace of a smile crossed his lips. "Is that it?"

"No. That's not it, I-I..." Zuko took a deep breath and pushed one hand back through his hair. "I like you," he said, quietly, letting his hand drop to his side. "I don't like people. I barely ever like people and I _like_ you."

"Is that so?" Sokka's smile brightened and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I do and I like you more than I'm supposed to like you." Zuko looked away and watched a few students mill around the hallway near-by. He turned his attention back to Sokka and shifted a bit closer. "Maybe we can start over?"

"I don't wanna start over. It took too long to get you to talk to me," Sokka laughed.

"I didn't mean like that," Zuko laughed back, giving the other boy a playful shove. He flashed Sokka a huge smile before looking back down at the floor. "It's just that I barely know you and I feel like I wanna be around you. I'm not used to that." He laughed quietly, then added in a teasing tone, "Especially since you're kinda annoying."

Sokka made a _pssh_ sound and stuck his nose up. "You're so full of it, you know you think I'm funny." When Zuko shook his head, Sokka leaned closer and laughed. "Oh yeah? So, a man walks into a bar and says _Ouch_!"

"That is not funny, Sokka," Zuko said, shaking his head and staring at the floor. He put his hand up over his mouth and closed his eyes, trying to contain the chuckle that wanted to escape from his lips. He made a sighing sound as he looked back up, the smile still etched on his face, and rolled his eyes. "Alright, so you're a _little_ funny."

The blue eyed boy grinned in victory and stepped around Zuko. "Come on, let's get to class," he said as he glanced back at the other boy. He waited for Zuko to fall into step with him before starting off to their History class. "You think I'm funny," he teased as they neared the door.

Zuko put up his finger and wagged it at Sokka. "What did I say about that before? You can't go saying that stuff. I have a reputation, ya'know?" He smiled at the other boy and pulled open the door, then went off towards his seat in the far back of the room while Sokka took his front seat next to Song.

"Morning, Sokka," the blonde girl cooed as he slipped into his seat.

"Morning," Sokka answered back. He glanced back and to the right, locking his eyes onto Zuko's from across the room. His lips pulled into a half smile, which was returned by the other boy. He held his bottom lip between his teeth and watched as Zuko slunk down in his seat and put his hand up to shield his eyes from seeing Sokka.

A large figure soon blocked Sokka's view as well. Haru dropped down into his seat and held out a brown paper sack to Sokka. "Here," he said, half laughing, half groaning. "Your grandmother is quite persistent," he continued as Sokka took the bag. "I go to get your sister this morning and the woman practically glued that to my hand to bring to you."

Sokka peered down into the bag and smiled as he pulled out several slices of toast from it. "I love that woman," he said with a happy smile. In a matter of moments, the boy had devoured the meager breakfast. All through class, he kept trying to glance back at Zuko, only to have Haru's large frame blocking his way. At one point, when Haru got up to turn in his work, Sokka found that Zuko was adamantly blocking his face from sight.

"You are _so_ stubborn," Sokka laughed as Zuko finally stepped up to the doorway. He was the last one to pack up his things and the two were now alone in the classroom.

Zuko put on an innocent smile and shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, though his grin more than gave him away.

"No idea, huh? Okay." Sokka put his arm out to stop Zuko from leaving the room. "You're not wasting my time, are you?" he asked, his tone turning serious. "Not that you _are_ a waste of time. I just need to know if this," he pointed between himself and Zuko, "is going anywhere. Are we...are we friends are we..." He trailed off, letting his conflicted face speak for him.

"Don't rush me, okay?" Zuko whispered, taking a step closer to the other boy. He reached forward and pushed a strand of hair back from Sokka's eyes, then gave him a crooked smile. "I'm not wasting your time," he added, letting his hand fall. "We have to get to class."

"Class can wait," Sokka cut in quickly, taking a hold of Zuko's hand and pulling him back closer. He twisted his free hand into the front of Zuko's shirt while the other held onto the boy's hand. He tugged on the fabric, urging the other boy to come forward. He locked onto Zuko's golden, honey eyes and smiled.

Zuko raised his eyebrows and gave a small laugh. "Just what do you think you're doing?" he teased as he stepped closer and slid his free hand over Sokka's hip. "You think I'm gonna kiss you?" When Sokka nodded, Zuko laughed again. "What makes you think something like that?" he whispered as he leaned down a bit and brought his lips near the other boy's. "You think I _want_ to kiss you?"

"I know you do," Sokka whispered as he closed the tiny space which lingered between their lips.

This time, there was no driving force, no need to prove a point or any reason to be harsh with their affection. Their lips moved together slowly, each getting the feel for the other's style. They were gentle and light, one urging open the mouth of the other and letting their tongues brush together Zuko made a tiny pleased, humming sound against Sokka's mouth and took the boy's bottom lip between his teeth, poking at his lip ring with the tip of his tongue. Sokka contained the whimper that almost escaped him, though his entire body shuddered slightly, making Zuko pull away and laugh.

Zuko put his hand on the side of Sokka's neck and pressed their foreheads together, staring hard into his icy blue eyes. "Are you cold?" he teased.

"Shut up," Sokka laughed, pushing Zuko back away from him. "Can't help it. You were being all...all...ya'know?"

"No, I don't know," Zuko pushed, still chuckling at Sokka's newly flushed face. "Come here." He used the boy's hand, still held in his, to pull him back over. His arms both wrapped around Sokka's waist to hold him in place as he once again brought his lips down onto the other boy's.

Before the kiss could get anywhere, the classroom door opened and several students bounced inside; all wearing shocked faces at what they were witnessing. The boys broke apart and pushed through the students without a word. They stepped into the hallway and glanced over at each other with grins as they headed towards their next class.

"That might have hurt your reputation," Sokka joked.

Zuko shrugged and tilted his head. "Bound to happen sooner or later," he answered. After a long silence, he rubbed his fingers over his lips and smiled. "You know...you taste like toast."

* * *

**A Note From the Author: So, this chapter took a LOT longer than I wanted it to. A lot of revision and reworking. Alas, there it was. I hope that you enjoyed it and please don't be afraid to review. You guys are great and I appreciate all the reads! :D -Jenna**

**On a side note, you may have noticed that 15 of my fanfictions have been removed from my page. This is for reasons that I don't wanna go into, but I'm sure you are mostly aware of. If you go to my Profile, you can see links to my other fanfiction pages in which these stories can be seen. I do hope that I don't become a casualty of recent movements and I am 90% sure that the stories remaining on my Profile (including Rejects, Haunted & Battlefield) as well as this one will be safe. *fingers crossed***


	20. They Whisper so Loud

**Chapter 20: They Whisper so Loud**

**.**

Sokka could feel Jet's dark brown eyes burning into the top of his head as he stared down at his desk. The boy had been staring at him with an expectant look since he and Zuko came into the classroom together. Sokka shifted in his seat and kept his eyes down on the book, making a sad attempt at focusing on what Professor Feng was reading aloud. It was becoming too much to take and finally, Sokka lifted his eyes to meet Jet's.

"What happened?" Jet whispered the moment he spotted Sokka looking up.

Sokka frowned in response and nodded towards the Professor. "Hush."

Jet tightened his jaw and narrowed his eyes as he cast a quick glance towards the Professor. "Just tell me," he whispered, leaning closer to Sokka. "You walked off fighting and came in here all buddy buddy."

"It's none of your business," Sokka whispered back before putting his eyes down onto his book.

Professor Feng cleared his throat loudly and stared over at the two talking boys. "Boys, is my teaching interrupting your conversation?" he asked sarcastically. "Jet, turn around, now, and both of you zip it."

Jet spun around in his seat and flipped open his book, trying to ignore the stares from most of the class. Once the Professor placed his attention back onto the book, Jet turned around once again. "Just tell me what happened," he whispered quietly. His hand reached out and laid over Sokka's to get the boy's attention.

Sokka pulled his hand out of the other boy's grip and shook his head slightly. "Don't." He shifted to the back of his seat and cut his eyes towards Zuko in the back corner of the room.

"You've got to be kidding me," Jet grumbled, his voice a bit louder than he had meant it to be.

"Jet! Sokka! Both of you see me after class. You can finish your _oh_ _so_ _riveting_ chat then." Professor Feng watched with angry eyes as Jet huffed back around to sit properly in his seat.

Sokka swallowed back a lump in his throat and stared down at the page in his book, not even sure if it was the right one. Class seemed to blur by, and he couldn't remember a single word of the lesson. His eyes sought out Zuko the moment the bell sounded, but the boy was out of the room before Sokka could even put away his things.

It was a rather uncomfortable position to be standing between a teacher assigning you detention and a boy who was starting at you as though _you_ were the cause of said detention; or so Sokka thought. The blue eyed boy made a break for the door, his detention slip crumpled in his hand, but Jet was too fast for him. The boy's form blocked Sokka's way and pushed him back against the lockers right outside the classroom door.

"Stop it, Jet." Sokka pushed the boy's hands away from his chest and lifted his bag higher on his shoulder. "Look, not that it's _any_ of your business, but I'm not fighting with Zuko and I'm not going to...listen to you anymore. You don't have a clue what you're talking about...or worse, you _do_ and you're being...I don't even know what you're being." He held his hands up and stepped away from Jet, backing down the hall. "Just back off, alright?"

The boy's bag bounced off his back as he moved quickly through the hallways towards the lunch room. Sokka scanned his eyes over the line and Zuko's usual table, but saw no sign of him. He pulled one hand back through his hair and frowned as he continued his visual search. A small hand clutched over the boy's shoulder and his sister came into view.

"He isn't in here," Katara hissed, her eyes locked cold onto her brother's. "You're looking for Zuko? Well he's not here. He walked out...said something about his Uncle and left." She folded her arms over her chest and shook her head in a disapproving manner. "Are you happy with yourself?"

"What?" Sokka stared down at his sister with an exasperated face, completely baffled as to the girl's anger. "What are you talking about?"

"It's already all over school. That you two were...fraternizing in an inappropriate way. In the classroom! Sokka, don't you ever learn? This is just like when we were in S-"

"I don't need a lecture, Katara. We weren't being inappropriate. It was just a kiss and it's none of yours or anyone else's business. So just...shut up." Sokka turned on his heel and marched back out of the lunch room, letting the doors close loudly behind him.

Sokka faltered at the school's doorway and looked down each hall around him before pushing out into the wind. He frowned and faced the ground as his hair started whipping around and slapping into his face with enough force to hurt. His hands pushed the strands back over and over on his short journey to the Jasmine Dragon. He was met with Iroh's concerned gaze the moment he stepped into the tea shoppe and let his bag fall onto the nearest table.

"He's upstairs," Iroh said without the other boy needing to ask.

The young boy nodded and hurried up the back staircase to the tiny apartment, combing out his messy hair with his fingers. "Zuko?" he called out as he lightly tapped his knuckles on the door and pushed it open. "Hey." He stuffed his hands down into his pockets and started towards the bed where Zuko lay.

"Close the door," Zuko snapped. "Please," he added through his teeth after the boy had already complied with his wish. He sat up on the bed and put his feet on the railing just under the mattress. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Sokka retorted as he took a seat next to the other boy and gave him a half smile. "You wanna tell me why you just took off?"

Zuko snorted and shook his head. "Not really. You'll just think I'm being a baby," he answered honestly. "How did you know where I was?"

"My sister said that you mentioned your uncle. I just took a guess." Sokka rubbed his hands over his knees and stared at the floor. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked quickly, afraid of even hearing the answer.

The other boy shook his head and reached over towards Sokka. "You didn't do anything wrong," he whispered as he slid his hand into Sokka's. He pulled the boy's hand over in front of him and laced their fingers together. "It isn't you, it's...them. All of them. You know people think that when they whisper that they can't be heard, but they can. People at that school whisper so loud, I swear that they want to be heard." He took a long, deep breath and squeezed the boy's hand. "You'd think I would be used to it by now. The whispers."

"I don't understand," Sokka whispered. He shifted a bit closer to the other boy and smiled down at their joined hands. "Is this about...us getting caught like that?" After a long and awkward silence that filled the space where Zuko's answer should have been, Sokka spoke again. "I don't hide."

"I don't want you to," Zuko said quickly, his eyes looking up to meet the icy blue of Sokka's. "I wouldn't ask you to." He bounced his knees and held onto Sokka's hand even tighter. "I'm not as strong as you are. I see the way you walk around and you're so sure and so secure about who you are and what you want and you don't seem the least bit afraid of anything."

Sokka licked his lips and turned his attention back to the floor. "That's not true, I mean...it hasn't always been that way. When I was..." He let out a ragged breath and shook his head. "I'm pretty much afraid everyday of my life. When the time came for all the guys at school to start noticing all the girls at school, I realized right away that I was different. I didn't understand it and I was...terrified of it."

"You were afraid of being gay? But you're so...so confident," Zuko pushed. He bumped his knee into the other boy's and chewed on his bottom lip. He had never seen such a broken look on the other boy's face before.

"I am now. Back then...I was clueless and scared and..." Sokka pursed his lips and shook his head. "I remember talking to my dad about it when I was thirteen. He was home for a week on leave and I was scared out of mind, but I knew he loved me, so I sat down and told him what was going on and he looked right at me and said, _Sokka_, don't you _ever_ be afraid of who you are." A bright smile crossed the boy's lips and he pulled his free hand back through his hair. "So, I stopped trying to hide what I was thinking and I got a lot of bad for it. I'm pretty sure I had bruises for six full months."

"Wait...what?" Zuko, forced Sokka to turn towards him on the bed and took his other hand into his own as well. "Bruises?"

Sokka nodded, but his smile didn't fade. "Yeah, a lot of 'em. But, uh, Bato...he's like this martial arts super guy. He taught me a few moves, the next time some jerk messed with me, I busted out three of his teeth and I wasn't afraid anymore." He let out a nervous laugh and looked back up at Zuko's face. "My point is, that I _do_ get scared. I was scared then and even now I worry about things, like with Katara. Sometimes I think that things are getting right between us and then she goes and...says something so irritating and I know that she's still...she doesn't like me. She loves me, but she doesn't like me."

"I just wish I had half your strength," Zuko muttered. "When we were there, in that classroom and those people came in, I thought, I mean I _really_ thought that I could handle it. I knew that it would get around, but I figured that people would just...not talk about it, not bother with it. Then I'm walking into the lunch room and the two assholes in front of me are whispering so damn loud half the hallway can hear them and I just...I got pissed off. Then your sister cornered me and I bolted."

"She cornered you?"

Zuko let out a laugh and nodded. "Yeah, she was all red and, it was kinda funny really but I was already mad."

"People have talked about you before?" Sokka asked. "You said that you should be used to it by now, so I'm guessing there's been something."

"Isn't it obvious?" Zuko raised his eyebrows at Sokka and pulled one knee up onto the bed between them. When Sokka showed no signs of understanding, Zuko pulled his left hand free and brought it up to his face. He brushed his fingertips along the bottom edge of his scar and frowned. "Everyone had their own theories."

"Oh," Sokka whispered, feeling a bit foolish that he hadn't thought of that on his own. "I didn't even – I guess because I've only seen you _with_ it, I never really considered the fact that there was a time you didn't have that." He poked at his lip ring with his tongue and scooted as close to Zuko as he could manage. "I've heard one theory, but I didn't really want to."

"From Jet?"

"Yeah," Sokka whispered.

"He doesn't know. He knows enough about my life that he could make a really good guess, but he doesn't know exactly." Zuko reached forward and smoothed out a strand of Sokka's hair, then met his eyes. "There's things that I don't like talking about," he whispered. "Can you handle that?"

Sokka gave the other boy a crooked grin and nodded. "Yeah, I can. There's things I don't like talking about either." He bit down on his bottom lip nervously and leaned towards Zuko. He smiled when Zuko learned towards him as well. Their lips met for a brief moment before Sokka pulled back and whispered, "I don't wanna be a problem in your life."

Zuko let out a loud laugh and shifted to sit up on his knees so quickly that Sokka barely registered how he got there. The boy's golden honey eyes bore down into Sokka's gaze as he leaned over and pulled the boy into a deep kiss. He moved his lips harshly against Sokka's until his lungs begged him to stop, then continued to kiss the boy for another few moments. He took in a gasp of air as he released his hold on Sokka and smiled down at him. "You're definitely not a problem."

Sokka grinned as he touched his fingertips to his lips. "What about the whispers and everyone talking about you behind your back? Doesn't that bother you?" he asked, nervously.

"It bothers me a lot," Zuko confessed. "But...maybe I think you're worth it."

"Just maybe?" Sokka laughed.

"Maybe you shouldn't push it," Zuko laughed back as he leaned in for another kiss.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Alright, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Do you have any opinions on how Zuko's going to deal with folks talking about him? Do you thing a time when come when Sokka and Zuko can talk about their "things they don't talk about"? How do you feel about Jet right now and how baaaaaaad do you wanna see Toph? Thank you for reading, those of you who review, thank you so much. I'm trying ot respond to every review, but sometimes I get behind. :D –Jenna**


	21. Creation of the Blue Spirit

**Chapter 21: Creation of the Blue Spirit**

**.**

The obnoxious cry of an alarm clock rang out through the air of an overly extravagant bedroom that was far too large of a space for a single teenaged boy. A loud groan erupted from underneath the blankets of a king sized bed and a hand swatted idly towards the alarm clock. The hand was no where near the contraption, but it didn't matter, because another figure was quick to shut off the alarm.

"Get up, get up, get up!" a voice cried out before the figure began to tug on the blankets.

A fourteen year old Zuko threw back the blankets of his bed and narrowed his eyes at an overly eager Jet. "Why are you here so early?" Zuko whined as he attempted to pull the blanket back up over his head. "Come back in four hours."

"Nu uh! Don't you dare go back to sleep," Jet laughed as he scrambled up onto the bed and began to push the other boy out of it.

Zuko gave a fake sob and consented to leaving the warmth and comfort of his bed. He put his feet on the floor and sat up with a dramatic whine, stretching his back as he moved. "You're a pain," he muttered. He rubbed his hands over his flawless face and dragged his fingers back through his short black hair. He dropped his hands heavily to his lap and gave Jet a friendly smile. "A big pain," he said with a laugh.

Jet flashed a crooked grin and climbed back down from the bed. "I know."

Zuko laughed at the other boy's words and reached over to pull open his nightstand drawer. "I have somethi-" a yawn cut off his words. "Damn. I have something for you," he finished as his fingers closed around a light blue CD case.

"You can't give it to me now," Jet gasped. "My birthday isn't until tomorrow, you know the rules." He folded his arms over his chest and took a seat next to the other boy on the bed.

"It isn't for your _birthday_, it's just...just because," Zuko argued. He pushed the CD case into his friend's hands and rubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"It's not labeled," Jet said simply as he turned the case over in his hands. "Who is it?" Zuko glanced over at Jet and gave him a small smile. Jet widened his eyes and grinned brightly. "Really? You made this?" he asked, finding excitement in the tiny gesture. "Which song did you put on it? How did you do it? When did you do it?" he rattled off, not even giving the boy a chance to answer.

"Chill," Zuko laughed. "I made it last night. My father knows the guy that just bought out the radio station, the one turning it into the teen station. He let me record it."

"Is it...well did you put my song on it? Is there just one?"

"Yes and yes. I didn't really have time for more than one, took me like six tries to get it right," Zuko answered.

"You're just obsessive. I bet it was right the first time," Jet said as he looked up at the other boy and met his eyes. The smile on his face softened and his fingers fiddled with the case in his hands.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Zuko cried out with a laugh. He grabbed onto his pillow and swung it around, smacking Jet in the face with it and knocking the boy back onto the bed. "Don't you dare!" he added when it was clear Jet planned on retaliation. "If you hit me with that, I'm not gonna get changed and go with you," he threatened.

"Oh, you're going. I don't care if I have to drag you there in your night clothes," Jet threatened right back. Despite his words, he did not hit Zuko back with the pillow.

Zuko got to his feet and disappeared inside of a large closet, emerging back a minute later dressed in black jeans and a simple tee-shirt. "Have I mentioned that you're a pain?" he muttered as he took a place in front of his dresser and picked up a bottle of hair gel.

"Once or twice," Jet answered, slipping the CD case into his pocket. He bolted across the room and knocked the bottle of gel out of the boy's hand. "Don't put that junk in your hair, it's gross. You look fine, let's go." He picked up Zuko's shoes and thrust them into the boy's arms. "Shoes. On. Now." He pushed the boy towards his bed and forced him to sit. "Blue Spirit speed," he laughed.

Zuko dropped the shoes to the floor and threw himself back on the bed with a loud groan. "No. Not gonna do it now. Not until you promise to stop calling me that," Zuko said definitively.

"It's adorable."

"It's not adorable, it's lame. Come on, man, we made those names up when we were eleven. I don't call you the _Freedom_ _Fighter_, now do I?" Zuko asked as he lifted his head up enough to look at Jet. "I'm not going until you promise."

Jet threw his arms up and sighed loudly. "Fine! Fine."

"Nope. Say that you promise."

"Okay," Jet grumbled, rolling his brown eyes. He sulked towards the bed and leaned over the other boy, putting his hands down on either side of Zuko's head. "I promise that I will never call you the Blue Spirit again. Even though it's an awesome nickname and I think you're being a baby."

Zuko smiled in victory and sat up, pushing Jet away as he did so. "That's all I ask." He kicked his shoes together and stuffed his feet into them without even needing his hands, then jumped to his feet. "Let's go."

"Right behind you, Blue Spirit," Jet teased with a huge grin on his face. When Zuko stopped in the doorway and frowned, Jet couldn't help but to laugh. He slipped his arms around Zuko's waist from behind and put his chin on the boy's shoulder. "Sorry, I won't do it again," he pouted, though it was more than obvious he had no intention of honoring those words.

Zuko's lips twitched into a quick smile before he forced it away and pulled out of the other boy's arms. "Don't do that." His words were quick and dry; they made Jet's face lose its usual glow. He hurried into the hallway and towards the grand staircase that led down towards a huge, marble floored entryway. "Great," he sighed as he spotted three young girls on the staircase making their way up it.

"Good morning!" Ty Lee waved enthusiastically at the two boys and batted her long eyelashes. "Where are you two off to so early?" she asked as the two groups met on the top step.

"New skate park just opened up on the edge of Omashu. We're gonna go check it out," Jet answered for them as he licked his lips and laid on his charm towards a giggling Ty Lee.

"You don't skate," Azula snapped towards her brother, her golden eyes piercing into his.

"I'm gonna teach him," Jet interrupted, stepping between the boy and his sister. "We really have to get going though, so we'll see you," he locked eyes with Ty Lee, "gorgeous ladies later."

A loud sigh came from the third, and previously silent, girl. "Whatever," Mai droned out. She let her eyes flick over towards Zuko and what almost resembled a smile came across her lips. "Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks," Zuko muttered as he dragged his hand back through his hair and wished that Jet had allowed him to gel it.

"We gotta go." Jet's thin fingers closed around Zuko's wrist and pulled the boy's hand from his hair. He pulled the boy around and down the stairs before letting go of him and opening the front door to the house. "That girl is so weird," he said as Zuko joined him in the yard and closed the door behind them. "Don't you think she's weird?"

"You mean Mai? I guess she's a little weird."

"More than a little." Jet frowned over at the other boy and stuffed his hands into his pockets, letting the tips of his fingers brush against the light blue CD case. A sneaky grin surfaced on the boy's lips and he let out a small laugh.

"What are you thinking?" Zuko asked wearily. "Jet, don't walk away from me. Tell me what you're thinking!"

One month later, Zuko got his answer.

He and Jet were kneeling on the living room floor of Jet's apartment. A very heated game of _thumb_ _wars_ was taking place while Jet's mother watched with an amused face from the tiny kitchen. The woman clapped her hands playfully as her son took the victory and left Zuko a whimpering mess of feigned dramatics on the carpet.

"Now that you two are finished, do you wanna come get some breakfast?" the woman asked, grinning as she was met with two eager boys scrambling to get out of the floor.

"Wait! What time is it?" Jet gasped, grabbing a hold of Zuko's arm and twisting it around so that he could see the boy's watch. "Damn it, I mean dang it, sorry mom. Come with me." He pulled the other boy from the living room and down the hall, then into his bedroom. "It's supposed to be on at Eight thirty, we almost missed it, how could I almost forget this?" he growled, more to himself than Zuko. The boy fumbled with the knob on his stereo until a young girl's voice filled the room.

_"- full and they taste fantastic on top of that. So get yourself any one of the five varieties and __keep your energy up. Enough of the commercials, let's get back to reason you're here. You're listening to the debut of K teen, the only radio station for teens, hosted by teens. This is the Blind Bandit with your morning show, if you don't like what I play...too bad! Now, I wanna share a little something that you've never heard before. This is a song by a new guy, goes by the name Blue Spirit and let me tell you girlies...you're gonna to love this."_

Zuko stared at the radio with pure horror in his eyes. "You didn't." He was sure he had stopped breathing by the time his own voice reached his ear from the speakers. "Jet...you didn't." He broke his gaze away and charged towards the other boy, anger flashing across his face. "Are you out of your damn mind?" he yelled as he pushed his hands into the boy's chest and knocked him back onto the bed. "How could you do this to me?"

"I didn't do it _to_ you, I did it _for_ you, damn it," Jet snapped back as he grabbed Zuko's hand and pulled him down next to him. "I knew you'd never take the chance on your own. I had to."

"You didn't even ask," Zuko argued as he moved to sit up.

"You woulda said no." Jet propped himself up on his elbows and gave the other boy an apologetic smile. "You gotta learn to trust me, Zuko. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I didn't even give your name."

"No," Zuko growled, his voice suddenly full of laughter. "You gave them that stupid nickname." He dove towards Jet and tackled him off the edge of the bed. They hit the ground with an echo of two loud groans and rolled onto their backs to finish listening to the radio. "I sound weird," Zuko whispered as he put his hands over his face.

"Shut up, you sound great," Jet sighed. He rolled over onto his side, facing Zuko, and put his hand up into the boy's hair. "She wants to meet with you. The Bandit chick. She's gonna meet us tonight, well you, but I figured you might want me to come along."

"I'm not going." Zuko turned his head to face Jet and laid his hands over on his own chest. "How did you even get her to do it? Flirt? You flirted with her, didn't you?"

Jet let out a laugh and pulled himself up to his knees. "No, I didn't flirt with her, I couldn't have even if I wanted to. I just played it for her and she liked it." He threw his arms onto the bed to help him stand up and stared down at Zuko. "Let's eat. And...you're going. Don't make that face, you know you can't win this argument."

Zuko did, in fact, know that he wouldn't win the argument, so it was no surprise to him when he found himself walking into the Jasmine Dragon with Jet later that night. "You know I'm not allowed here," he whispered to the other boy as he followed behind him to a back corner table.

"What convenient timing for you to start listening to your father," Jet said with an eye roll. "Just come on, I can see the back of her head." He reached back, his hand nearing Zuko's, but just before their fingers touched, Zuko's hands were in his pockets. He looked up, wondering if the dodge was deliberate, and smiled as he saw that Zuko was looking elsewhere.

Jet grabbed onto Zuko's elbow and ushered him to the table where a young girl already sat. Zuko stared towards the front counter, watching his Uncle laugh with another old man. "Good to see you again," Jet greeted the girl.

"I would say the same, but...you know." The girl laughed and Zuko instantly recognized her voice from the radio that morning. He turned to finally face her, his mouth gawping when his eyes took in the girl's face. She was younger than him, by a year or two, he figured. She had a huge smile, revealing sparkling white teeth, and short black hair that framed her round, cute face. It was the girl's eyes that took Zuko off his guard. They were obviously green, yet had a veil of sheer white covering their entirety. Suddenly, the DJ name of Blind Bandit made sense to Zuko.

"H-hi," Zuko stuttered out as he tried to regain his composure.

"Hello," the girl answered, her smile growing even wider. "I'm gonna tell you right now that I'm risking a lot meeting you. I'm...well I'm not actually allowed to go out on my own, but your boy here tells me that you'd prefer anonymity." She drummed her fingers on the table and leaned closer so that she could whisper. "You're not gonna let me down, are you?"

"No," Zuko whispered, his eyes searching back towards his Uncle.

"Good. Then you can call me Toph."

* * *

**A Note From the Author: I promised you Toph and I have delivered. Yeah, I know it wasn't much, but I promise that she WILL be back and she WILL have a bigger role. We're just not that far yet. I hope that you enjoyed this little flashback chapter. Don't be afraid to tell me what you think, even if you hated it. Thank you for reading! :D –Jenna**

**On a side note, the poll regarding Zuko's future tattoo has been re-opened so that my new readers can have a vote. If you've already voted, yours is still in the system. If you haven't, head over to my profile page!**


	22. Taking it Slow

**Chapter 22: Taking it Slow**

**.**

Sokka's icy blue eyes sparkled as he reached up and touched his fingertips to his lips, the feel of Zuko's still lingering on them. "What about the whispers and everyone talking about you behind your back? Doesn't that bother you?" he asked, nervously.

"It bothers me a lot," Zuko confessed, his golden honey eyes moving over the other boy's face and his hand held tight to Sokka's. "But...maybe I think you're worth it."

"Just maybe?" Sokka laughed.

"Maybe you shouldn't push it," Zuko laughed back as he leaned in for another kiss.

Sokka's eyes fluttered closed as their lips once again met. Softly and slowly, they kissed, scooting a bit closer to each other until there was no space available. Zuko's hands broke away from Sokka's and reached up to cradle the boy's neck. Sokka responded by pushing up harder into their kiss and letting his arms snake around the other boy's waist. The sound of the door being opened brought a small whimper out of both boys as they broke apart and turned their attention towards the visitor.

Iroh stood in the doorway, a sheepish smile over his round face. "I thought you two might be hungry," he said, unable to hide the small laugh that tinted over his words. He rubbed his fingers down through his beard and nodded slowly. "I'm going to get some noodles...I'll bring back some for both of you." The old man started to turn away, but hesitated. "You're going back to school after lunch."

"I will," Zuko answered quickly, his words coming simultaneously with Sokka's declaration of, "Don't worry, I'll make him."

The old man chuckled and nodded as he reached for the door handed. He pulled it almost closed, stopped, glanced up at his nephew and opened the door back to its fullest. "I'll be right back," he said softly before heading down the stairs.

"You'll make me?" Zuko asked the moment his Uncle was out of sight.

"I didn't say that," Sokka argued with a grin. "I take it your Uncle doesn't trust you much."

Zuko snorted and eyed Sokka suspiciously. "Maybe he doesn't trust _you_. He's afraid to leave his dear nephew alone with you."

Sokka's eyes rolled and a small laugh escaped him. "I'm just all kinds of dangerous," he said with heavy sarcasm. "A regular bad boy I tell ya." He smiled over at the other boy and leaned forward.

"He doesn't," Zuko said quickly before the boy's lips got too close. When Sokka flashed a confused look and sat back, Zuko sighed. "He doesn't trust me. With you..." He bit his bottom lip and shifted awkwardly on the bed. "You're a nice guy."

"Thank you," Sokka said, preening a bit at the compliment.

"I'm not. Well, I wasn't... I've had my moments where...sometimes I would..." Zuko licked his lips and twisted his hands in front of him. "I've not always been the guy I am now. Before I came here, I was just -"

"Zuko, everyone has a past." Sokka grabbed onto the other boy's hands and got to his feet, pulling Zuko along with him. "Let's get some lunch. Then we can go back to school and we'll just save all the heavy conversation for later." He gave the boy a comforting smile and pulled him close, letting one arm slip around the boy's waist. "I like you, okay? So...let's just go from here."

Zuko smiled back and lowered his lips onto Sokka's for a gentle embrace. "That sounds like a plan," he whispered against the boy's mouth. "Just take things slow?"

"Slow is good," Sokka whispered back. "Granted, maybe kissing you after only a week isn't the slowest, but I -"

"I kissed you, remember?" Zuko interrupted with a laugh. He took the boy's hand and led him towards the doorway.

"Semantics," Sokka scoffed as they charged down the stairs to join Iroh for lunch.

Meanwhile, back at Omashu High, Katara was still fuming about the way her brother snapped at her. She dropped her tray heavily onto the table and slid into her chair, a frown locked on her face. Mindlessly, she poked at her sandwich wrapper, not even having the focus to remove it properly. "I can't believe the way he's acting," she scoffed as Haru and Jin dropped into the seats beside her.

"The way who's acting?" Jin asked as she settled herself and unwrapped her lunch.

"My brother," Katara sighed. "He told me to _shut_ _up_. I was just trying to help him and he acts like a total jerk."

"Exactly how were you trying to help?" Haru asked skeptically.

Katara pursed her lips and scowled at her tray. "I know that it looks like I'm just being a busybody, but you don't understand. You don't _know_ Sokka. You've had lunch with him, you have class with him, but you don't _know_ him. Not really. Sokka is..." She tilted her head, trying to think of a way to phrase her words.

"Hot?" Jin offered with a smirk.

"Old enough to make his own choices?" Haru attempted.

"Intelligent," Jin added with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Sokka is vulnerable," Katara snapped, annoyed that she was being interrupted. "He's too nice, he's too trusting. He just accepts people flat out and even when they...even when they treat him like crap, he just takes it." She shook her head and leaned back into her chair, her arms folding defensively. "He doesn't know how to look out for himself. He gets attached to people and they hurt him."

Haru shifted in his seat and stared down at his sulking girlfriend, his green eyes stern. "Then wouldn't it be better for him if he had his sister for support?" he asked with a cautious tone. "Shouldn't he be able to go home and tell his sister that he's been hurt without you...without being attacked for it? You're his sister, you should love him."

"I do love him!" Katara argued. "I just...I don't always agree with his choices."

Before Haru had a chance to voice his thoughts on the matter, the three were joined by Suki and Joo Dee. The two girls took their seats and eagerly tore into their lunches, unaware of what they were interrupting.

"Did you hear about the fight in Chin Village?" Suki asked, gazing around at all the faces. "Some of those Commune kids were in line to see a movie and I guess the owner told them they couldn't come it. They got all upset and a bunch of local kids started yelling and pushing. Two of them are in the hospital." She twisted her face with distaste and stared down at her food.

"Two of who? The locals or the Commune kids?" Katara asked, sitting up in her seat and pushing her tray away.

"The Commune kids. It got really out of hand. Professor Tho said that the Air Temple guys wouldn't even fight back. They just kinda...stood there. Didn't even try to defend themselves."

"Freaks," Jin muttered, earning her a shocked look from the entirety of the table. "What? They are. Would you just stand there and let a bunch of kids beat you up without even trying to get away?"

"They're pacifists, Jin, they aren't allowed to fight back," Suki argued, her eyes narrowing at the other girl.

"I didn't say fight back, I said get away." Jin put on a smug face and tilted her head. "Besides, I'm sure there's a lot more to it than you're hearing. I'll bet they did something to keep from getting allowed in. Probably started some sort of commotion and -"

"Shut up," Suki hissed before turning her full attention to her lunch.

A tense silence fell over the table as the five ate. There was an occasional exchanged glance, a few awkward coughs, some nervous shifting. None of them wanted to say or do anything that could set off a fight or another argument.

They all went their separate ways as lunch ended, except Katara and Haru. The large boy pulled Katara over to the side and stared down at her with a small sympathy. "I think you should apologize to your brother."

Katara frowned, but she didn't argue. Instead, she shrugged, nodded and changed the subject. "I wanna do something for those Air Temple people," she whispered. "It just doesn't seem right. But...but I think Jin was right when she said I didn't know what was going on."

"Maybe you should take the time to find out," Haru suggested, accepting the subject change. "Go talk to them or something. I have an Uncle in Chin Village and he says that those kids never cause any trouble. They don't do anything wrong, but they're always being attacked. I think...well I think sometimes, people are afraid of different. They're afraid of accepting anything different." The tone of his voice showed a clear desire for Katara to understand he was relating the Commune to her brother. "Even when different isn't a bad thing."

"Exactly," Katara sighed. "I bet there is nothing wrong with those Air people," she went on, the subtle hints lost on her one track thinking. "I'll see you after school. I'm gonna spend my free period doing a little research."

Katara rose up on her toes and gave the boy a quick kiss before dashing away and leaving Haru with a look of shock on his face. The boy shook his head and rubbed his hands back over his light brown ponytail. He took a long soothing breath and headed for the gymnasium. He was the first to arrive and slowly went about changing into his Gym clothes and pulling his long hair into a more secure band so that it wouldn't fly around during class.

"Hey, man," came Sokka's voice as the boy stepped up beside him and started gathering his Gym clothes up to change.

"Hey," Haru answered, throwing a glance around. "Where's Zuko?" he asked innocently.

Sokka's lips pulled into a shy smile and he locked his eyes on his clothes. "He's in the gym already." He poked his tongue into his lip ring and kicked off his shoes. "Why do you ask?"

"You two went off together, yeah? Just curious."

"Just curious? You sure you aren't spying for my sister now?" Sokka asked with a laugh. Despite his laugh, his tone still held a slight edge of hostility.

"She'll come around," Haru said quickly. "She's not cold and she really does care about you... She's just misguided. She'll come around."

"You a fortuneteller now?" Sokka asked with a small huff as he finished changing into his Gym clothes. "Look, I know my sister and she's...well I know my sister. A lot better than you do."

Haru laid his hand on the other boy's shoulder and stared down at him with resolution in his eyes. "I know that. But you also have a lot of feelings about this issue. You don't see it clearly, you're too blinded by upset and focused on the past. I'm not a fortuneteller but I don't have to be to know that it'll get better. She'll get used to it."

"Just drop it, alright? We have class." Sokka started towards the gymnasium with Haru, and ignored Jet's clear attempt to get his attention as they passed by him and Longshot.

Jet frowned as he dropped his hand from the air and watched Sokka disappear into the gym. He tugged on his change of shirt roughly, not even noticing he had it on backwards. "Now he's just gonna ignore me!" he growled, shoving his feet down into his shoes, then having to kick them off again as he realized he wasn't wearing shorts. "It's not like I lied to him."

Longshot looked up from pulling on his shirt and raised one eyebrow at the frustrated boy.

"Okay, I lied to him, but it wasn't like I was being malicious. Zuko...he's not right for him. Sokka needs someone like me, someone who has their head on straight."

Longshot snorted a laugh and reached out, pulling Jet's shirt collar so that the boy could see the tag was in front.

"Okay...so I might not have it all together right _now_," Jet muttered, righting the shirt and huffing loudly. "And, Zuko, he's just gonna change his mind," he continued with a know-it-all tone. "That's what he does, he's a mind-changer. One day he's all -" he made a huge, goofy grin "- and the next day, it's all -" he scowled "- and you never know which it's gonna be." The boy shook his head and gritted his teeth. "Freaking hot head."

The taller boy merely watched on in silence as his friend continued to rant about Zuko's mood swings and fiery temper. Longshot forced himself to not laugh at how difficult a time Jet had turning his shirt around the proper direction; he also forced himself not to point out that the shirt was _still_ backwards as they left the locker room and began class.

Longshot was a good listener, so he was often told. He knew when to truly hear someone and when their rants could be disregarded as angry venting. He knew when to be genuinely concerned and when to let others fume in peace. The one person he knew better than any other, was Jet. So when the boy stopped cold in front of him, his eyes fixed in the distance, Longshot knew to worry.

The taller boy followed Jet's gaze across the gymnasium and straight onto the entwined fingers of Sokka and Zuko. He put one hand on the other boy's shoulder and frowned as he knew the day would only get worse.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Okay, this chapter was fairly...lame (a lot of character point of view jumping that I don't like to do) _and_ it took a really long time to get out, but hopefully I'm back on track. My muse carried me (more like forced) to finish off another WIP rather than alternate. Good news is, now that I have successfully completed the other one, my writing time won't be as stretched. I can focus on this story more and get the chapters (hopefully better ones) out at a more timely pace. So, thank you for returning to the story despite the _dreadful_ wait! :D –Jenna**


	23. Letters From Hakoda

**Chapter 23: Letters From Hakoda**

**.**

The week rushed by and before Sokka realized it, Saturday morning was upon him. After a quick shower, the boy dressed and headed into the kitchen for something to eat before work. The usual smells of Saturday breakfast did not fill the room, bringing an instant frown to the boy's face as he took his seat at the kitchen table. He drummed his fingers on the table, waiting, hoping that Gran Gran was merely running behind that morning. Within five minutes, Sokka sighed heavily and got up to get himself some cereal.

"Don't eat that," Katara hissed as she ran up behind her brother and knocked his hand away from cereal box. "You're supposed to have this for breakfast," she added, her tone panicked as she hurried over to the refrigerator and produced a large bowl, overflowing with berries of all kinds.

Sokka eyed his sister wearily as she placed the bowl on the table and began shoving the berries into her mouth before even sitting down completely. He slid back into his seat and cautiously plucked a blueberry from the bowl, his eyes still on his sister.

"Are you kidding me?" Katara huffed. "Would you just eat these already?" The girl shoved the bowl towards her brother and gave him a pleading look. "Please? I can't eat them all myself, just eat!"

A wide-eyed worry crossed Sokka's face as he slowly placed the blueberry back into the bowl. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked as he slid his chair back from the table and stood up. "You're acting kinda weird and...I'm not eating those. I'll just get something from the shoppe." He rushed back to the bedroom to pull on his jacket and grab his skateboard for after work, then threw another glance towards Katara as he made his way to the door. "What are you doing?" he asked, his eyebrows raised as he watched his sister dumping the berries into the sink.

Katara stared over at her brother with guilt splashed across her face and bit her bottom lip. "Washing...them?" she offered lamely.

"Whatever," Sokka sighed, waving his hands towards the girl before stepping outside. He was quite sure that he could hear the garbage disposal as he pulled the door closed behind him. The walk to work was quick, as he ran most of the way, his stomach driving him to arrive early. An excited smile pulled at the boy's lips as he stepped into the tea shoppe and laid eyes on Zuko holding a large platter of muffins.

"Is that smile for me or the muffins?" Zuko asked with a smirk as he started placing the baked goods into the display case. When Sokka reached around him to snag one of the muffins, Zuko laughed quietly. "I figured that was it."

"Can't it be both?" Sokka asked with a grin as he pressed his shoulder into Zuko's and leaned towards him. "You're better than some muffin," he whispered as his lips neared the other boy's. "Unless it's a banana muffin. Then...you'd have to really earn your spot over it."

"Earn my spot?" Zuko laughed as he leaned in and met the other boy for a soft kiss. He slipped one around Sokka's back and held him close until the sound of the door caught his attention. He dropped his arm, pulled away and cleared his throat awkwardly as Iroh joined Sokka and himself by the counter. "We were just...um..."

"Kissing," Sokka finished with a smirk. He backed away from the tense moment, his skateboard in one hand and his muffin in the other.

Zuko rolled his eyes at the other boy and followed him into the back room. He tossed the empty muffin platter into the sink and grabbed Sokka's board from him. "You gonna go after work?" he asked as he stared down at the icy blue board. He didn't notice Sokka's nod, instead, Zuko was transfixed on the details of the other boy's skateboard. He traced his fingers around the edges of the worn out stickers and frowned at the faded phone number. "Did you call her?" he asked with a small grin.

Sokka licked his lips and peeled back the paper from his muffin. "I called _him_," he answered with a laugh before taking a large bite from his food.

Zuko made a small scoffing sound and flipped the skateboard over. "I'll put it upstairs," he said quickly before carrying the board up to the apartment. A few minutes later, the boy returned to find Sokka finished with his muffing and already in his apron. He grabbed onto Sokka's belt-loops and pulled him close. "Can I go along?"

"When I go skating? Sure."

"Great, I'll see you later then," Zuko whispered. He gave the other boy a quick kiss and headed for the door. "I'll be back before you get off."

Sokka merely nodded in answer and turned to his day's work.

Zuko returned to the shoppe, as promised, a few minutes before Sokka was meant to shed his apron and leave for the day. He seemed to be in a rather good mood as he sneaked up behind Sokka while the boy was doing dishes. He slipped his arms around Sokka's waist and gave him a quick squeeze before dashing off upstairs, not even giving the other boy a chance to greet him back.

"You seem happy," Sokka pointed out with a smirk when Zuko returned from the upstairs apartment with his skateboard. He tossed his apron into the near-by hamper and wiped his hand across the back of his jeans to finish drying them. "Can I ask where you ran off to?"

Zuko shook his head slowly and gave Sokka a sneaky grin. "You can ask, but I'm not gonna tell you. Not yet anyways," he answered as he passed the boy his board and took his free hand. "Let's just go, I wanna see you skate."

Sokka frowned a bit, but he wasn't going to push the matter. After all, it had been his idea to take things slow. The two walked in silence, something that Sokka found overwhelmingly difficult to do. He tried to focus on the small things: his hand entwined with Zuko's, the soft pounding of their footsteps over the hard dirt, the lingering smell of an approaching snowfall that hung in the air, the way he kept catching Zuko staring over at him from the corner of his eyes and the tiny smile on the boy's face every time he knew he was caught.

"You're being really quiet," Zuko said with a laugh as they headed inside of the Serpent's Pass Skate Park. "Should I be worried?"

"No, I was just...trying not to be so annoying," Sokka admitted.

Zuko furrowed his eyebrows in upset and squeezed Sokka's hand. "Don't do that." He licked over his lips and let his eyes fall to the ground as he released the boy's hand. "You can talk whenever you want to," he added quickly before hurrying over towards the nearest metal bench. He dropped himself into the empty place between two girls; one was staring at the skaters with wide, excited eyes and the other was flipping through a fashion magazine with a look of utmost boredom on her face.

Sokka grinned happily at Zuko's words and started towards the ramps. He wasn't a step towards them before a familiar sight of auburn hair clouded his vision. "Hey, Suki. Wanna join me over here? I'll teach you a few moves," he teased.

"You'll teach _me_ moves?" Suki laughed. "Please, I have more moves than you can dream of," she teased right back.

Sokka narrowed his icy blue eyes in challenge and the two raced off to the nearest half-pipe to prove their dominance.

Zuko watched on as Suki seemed to be overtaking Sokka with most of their moves. Either way, he had to admit that Sokka was quite talented. The boy seemed to transform into a different side of himself. The goofy, playful nature melted away the moment Sokka's wheels hit the concrete; his face set with concentration and his body moved with precise detail. Zuko found himself lost in the movement until a hand covered his shoulder from behind.

"He's good," came Jet's voice as the boy leaned over and folded his arms on the back of the bench.

"Yeah, he is," Zuko agreed distantly.

"She's better," Jet added without hesitation.

"Maybe," Zuko sighed. "I don't know much about it."

Jet snorted a laugh and nodded his head in agreement. "You'd know more if you didn't swear it off after one try," he said, still laughing at his own memories.

Zuko frowned and cut his eyes back towards Jet. "It was two tries," he corrected in a snarky tone. "It doesn't take me long to learn that I don't get along with concrete."

Jet grinned, despite the angry look on the other boy's face. "You act like you broke a bone or something. You didn't even get hurt." He seized the chance to take the newly vacated spot next to Zuko as the bored girl took off with her boyfriend. "You don't belong with him," he said matter-of-factually.

Zuko let out an angry huff and narrowed his eyes at the other boy. "And you think _you_ do?"

"Better fit than you are," Jet answered in a calm, together tone, his face set with resolve. "At least I wouldn't change my mind a week later."

"I'm not changing my mind," Zuko huffed, his teeth grinding together. "I've _never_ just changed my mind." He turned his eyes back to the skating masses, searching amongst them for Sokka and Suki.

Jet dug his box of toothpicks from his pocket and shoved one between his lips, then stuffed the box back into his pocket with unneeded aggression. He folded his arms over his chest and and stared at Zuko with a sour face. "So, you're like...together now?" he asked with unrestrained attitude.

Zuko shifted on the bench and stuck his nose up a bit at the question. "We're taking things slow. We're just...well it isn't...not everything needs a label, you know?"

"Nice," Jet muttered sarcastically. "That sounds like a dodgy way of saying that you _aren't_ together. So, that means he's free to see anyone else he wants."

"He doesn't want to see you, if that's what you think." Zuko gave the other boy a smug grin.

"We'll see."

"No, you won't see," Zuko growled, turning fully towards Jet and sticking his finger in the boy's face. "Just stay the hell away from him. All you want from him is..._sex_ anyways, so go find someone else for it."

Jet snorted indignantly and rolled his eyes at the other boy as he swatted his hand away. He was just about to retort when a loud throat clearing broke from behind them. Both he and Zuko turned around to see Katara staring down at them with a stern face.

"Where's my brother?" she asked coldly. When Jet merely pointed to the half-pipe as an answer, Katara stuck her nose in the air and yelled her brother's name so loudly people near-by covered their ears. She crossed her arms and waited in silence until Sokka came rushing over.

The boy came to a stop on the front side of the bench and gave his sister a questioning look. "Wha'?" he asked, taking long, deep breaths as he switched hands with his skateboard to hold it by the wheels. He pursed his lips, annoyed that he had been called to a stop.

Katara dug into her coat pocket and produced a long white envelope with some drawing on the outside of it. Sokka's eyes lit up and all annoyance instantly dropped from the boy's face. His board clattered to the ground as he dove towards his sister over the bench and snatched the envelope from her hand. Katara gave a small yelp of surprise at her brother's speed and stepped back.

Sokka stared down at the envelope with an eager smile and put his finger under the seal. A quick look around changed the boy's mind and he stuffed the envelope down into his jeans pocket. "It's from my dad," he said to Zuko in response to the boy's amused and confused face.

"From your dad? That's nice," Suki said as she stepped up behind Sokka with her board in one hand and two bottles of water in the other, being held by the caps. She stuck out the bottles for Sokka to take one and smiled. "You're pretty good for a guy, I guess," she teased.

Sokka laughed quietly and squeezed himself between Zuko and the overly eager girl who hadn't taken her eyes off the skaters in over an hour. He took a long drink of the water and tipped his head to Suki. "Yeah, you're pretty good for a chick," he sighed.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Starters; the Katara berry situation will be explained in the next chapter :D Moving on... Consider the whole Sokka/Suki skateboard showdown (alliteration, hell yeah) my AU version of the "The Warriors of Kyoshi" episode. Only, Sokka isn't in a dress and of course, there is NO kissing between these two. I hope that you enjoyed it none-the-less. I try to relate Sokka's skateboarding to his fighting skills, the way his goofy demeanor always melts away when he's got that sword/boomerang. That was one of the things that I always loved about the character. Alas, I ramble. Don't be afraid to leave me a few thoughts, even if you hate it. On a side note, I somehow disabled my notifications last week and didn't get emails about the reviews. I tried to go through and respond, but if I missed you (or sent you two responses) that is why. It's all fixed now though. Thanks for reading. :D –Jenna**

**Oh yeah! I, in no way, condone skateboarding without a helmet. Remember: safety first.**


	24. A Dinner Invitation

**Chapter 24: A Dinner Invitation**

**.**

Saturday morning brought Katara from her bed long before her brother even began to stir. She was fully dressed and standing outside of her Grandmother's bedroom door when the old woman emerged from inside.

"You scared me," Gran Gran Kanna said, laying her hand over her chest and frowning at Katara.

"Sorry, Gran Gran," Katara said quietly as she followed the woman into the kitchen and waited for her to prepare a cup of tea. "What time are we leaving?" she asked, eagerly as the old woman sipped her drink.

"Leaving?" Kanna raised her eyebrows and thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, we aren't going to the farmers' market today. I don't need to; Pakku brought me plenty of berries to make my pies." The woman walked over to the refrigerator and pulled open the door to reveal a large bowl overflowing with berries of all kinds.

"But you said I could go!" Katara whined, staring at the berries with shocked eyes. "Can't we just go anyways? Don't you need some cabbage or something?"

"I don't really feel like going today, Katara," Kanna answered calmly. "I'm going over to Pakku's for breakfast this morning, you and Sokka eat some cereal or something, will you?" she added as she rinsed out her tea cup and placed it into the sink.

Katara made a distressed face as she followed her Grandmother out of the apartment and towards Pakku's. "But Gr-"

"Don't _but Gran_ me, young lady. I told you that I don't feel like going to the place today. It's cold and now that I have the berries, I don't need to go." The old woman pointed towards the apartment and gave Katara a stern look. "Go home and tell your brother there is some banana bread in the pantry if he wants some. Just don't let him eat it all."

The young girl groaned in defeat and slumped back towards the apartment. She had been counting on the trip to the market to finally get close to some of the Air Temple children and get the full story. She slipped quietly into the house and watched as Sokka got up from the table and got a box of cereal. Realization washed over the girl and she charged towards her brother.

"Don't eat that," Katara hissed as she ran up behind her brother and knocked his hand away from cereal box. "You're supposed to have this for breakfast," she added, her tone panicked as she hurried over to the refrigerator and pulled out the bowl from Pakku. She laid the bowl on the table and started cramming the berries into her mouth before she even found her seat.

Sokka slid into a chair and watched Katara with curiosity. He slowly plucked a single blueberry from the bowl.

"Are you kidding me?" Katara huffed. She couldn't believe the way Sokka was acting. Leave it to her brother to pick the most inconvenient time to be hesitant about food. "Would you just eat these already?" She shoved the bowl towards her brother and gave him a pleading look. "Please? I can't eat them all myself, just eat!"

Sokka's eyes widened in worry as he slowly placed the blueberry back into the bowl. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked as he slid his chair back from the table and stood up. "You're acting kinda weird and...I'm not eating those. I'll just get something from the shoppe." The boy rushed out of the kitchen and back down the hallway.

"Dang it," Katara muttered as she tried to eat more of the berries. Her stomach turned with the intake and she gagged slightly over the idea of eating any more of them. She glanced back behind her at the sink and carried the bowl over. "If he won't eat them, then I'll get rid of them some how," she muttered as she started dumping the berries into the large opening for the garbage disposal.

"What are you doing?" Sokka asked from the doorway, giving his sister a confused look.

"Washing...them?" Katara answered lamely, guilt splashed over her face.

"Whatever," Sokka sighed, waving his hand towards his sister before heading for the door.

Katara bit her lip and flipped on the disposal to get rid of the berries. She left a few handfuls in the bowl and placed it back into the refrigerator, then cleaned up the evidence from the sink. She retreated back to her bedroom and pulled open a book to wait for the inevitable discovery.

An hour passed before Katara heard her Grandmother's voice. "Katara! Get in here."

The girl forced the grin off her face and rushed into the kitchen. "What's wrong?" she asked, her tone worried as she skidded into the kitchen and stopped in front of Kanna. "What happened?" she asked in innocence as she observed the nearly empty bowl clutched in the old woman's hand.

"I was hoping you'd tell me," Kanna said, dropping the bowl down on the counter with a huff.

Katara swallowed hard and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess Sokka ate them or something. You can't blame him, really, you didn't put a label on them or anything." She nodded with her words and stared at the bowl with sad eyes. "I'm sorry you don't get to make your pies anymore."

Kanna narrowed her eyes at Katara and shook her head slowly. "I need to make those pies. I promised the ladies I would bring them. I guess I'm going to the market after all." She sighed and placed the remaining berries back into the refrigerator. "And I suppose you'd like to go along."

The girl nodded eagerly and dashed off to gather her coat. Half an hour later, Katara and Kanna were stepping inside of the Si Wong Farmers' Market. The young girl waved to her Grandmother and dashed off before the woman could get a word in. Katara's eyes readily scanned each booth and stall, hoping for any sign of the Air Temple children or their elders. Frustrated with her lack of success, the girl finally approached another stall owner for directions.

"E-excuse me, Sir, I was hoping you could tell me where the Air Temple people are. I don't...I don't even know what they sell, actually." She gave a hopeful smile and tilted her head innocently.

The older man narrowed his eyes and nodded his head in the general direction to the right of Katara. "Over there," he grumbled. "Damn fruit pies are running out of business." He picked up a tray with an assortment of fried doughs atop it and held it out towards the girl.

Katara reluctantly purchased three of the man's pastries and started towards the familiar robes she could see in the distance. The girl mindlessly nibbled the end of one fried dough and shuddered with disgust before promptly tossing them into the garbage bin. She stood at the edge of the fruit pie stand and watched for a moment as several younger children, all dressed in the same pale brown pants and chocolatey orange shirt that she had seen on Aang the first day she came to the market. More so, all of the children bore the same tattooing.

"What can I get you?" one of the girls asked as she headed over to Katara.

"Oh, I'm not really...I mean I didn't come for a...just give me one of those," she answered, pointing to the nearest flavor of pie. The younger girl gathered Katara's request and handed over the bag. "I was actually wondering if...Aang was here," Katara offered tentatively as she paid the girl.

"Aang isn't allowed to come anymore," the girl answered with a frown. "That cabbage guy said if he comes again, he'll get us thrown out. Monk Gyatso made him stay home. Do you know Aang?"

"I met him once," Katara answered. "I was just hoping to see him again. Maybe ask him a few questions. I really wanna know more about -" she waved her hand towards everyone "- all of this."

"You do?" the girl asked, raising her eyebrows. "Most of the kids around here don't want anything to do with us. They think we're..." she trailed off, dropping her large brown eyes to the ground and sighing.

"I'm not from around here," Katara pointed out.

"Is there a problem over here?" called an older male voice. The commune leader, Monk Gyatso, stepped up beside the young girl and stared down at Katara. "Is everything alright, On Ji?" he asked, passing his gaze to the commune girl.

On Ji looked up and shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong," she answered quickly. "This girl was just asking about Aang."

"You know our Aang?" the old man asked.

"Not exactly. I -"

"Katara!" Gran Gran Kanna's voice cut into the girl's words as she rushed to her side and glared down at her. "I've been ready to go for half an hour. I looked everywhere for you. Had to buy some dreadful pastry to get that man back there to tell me where you were." She straightened herself at the realization of Gyatso and On Ji's closeness. "Sorry about that."

"Perfectly alright," Gyatso said with a smile. "If you and your Granddaughter would like, you are welcome to join us for dinner up at the Air Temple. You can see Aang there as well," the man said, directing the last of his words towards Katara.

When the young girl turned her pale blue eyes up to her Grandmother in plea, the old woman sighed heavily. "We can't tonight. I have that meeting with the girls. Well, I can't. I can get Pakku to take you up there and stay if you really want."

"I really want," Katara answered, a smile spreading wide across her face. "I'm Katara, by the way," she told On Ji quickly. "It was really nice meeting you."

"See you tonight!" both Gyatso and On Ji called out as Katara and Gran Gran walked away.

Back at the house, Gran Gran was beginning to get the sneaking suspicion that she had been played. She laid out the new berries for her pies and started washing them, occasionally glancing back at her granddaughter. "I think I should have a word with Sokka about eating things he finds without asking about them first," she said casually.

Katara started at her Grandmother's words and let out a nervous laugh. "That...that isn't a good idea. I mean, it isn't like he _meant_ to eat something you needed." She swallowed hard and leapt up from her seat at the sight of the postman outside on the walkway. "I'll see if we got mail!" she cried out much louder than needed.

The sight of art work decorated envelopes sent the girl's hear soaring. She clutched the envelopes to her chest and dashed back into the house. "We got mail from dad," she squealed, handing the old woman the letter addressed to her. "I'll take Sokka's to him at work and, you know what, I'll go ahead and mention the berry thing to him. Save you the hassle," she added.

The young girl slid back into a chair at the kitchen table and read through her father's letter as Gran Gran read her own. Every so often, one would look up with a grin and say something along the lines of "did he tell you about the dog?" and "yeah, I can't believe they let him keep it". After reading through her own letter three times, Katara pulled on her coat and stuffed her brother's letter into the pocket. She hugged her Gran Gran bye and headed for the Jasmine Dragon.

The girl half ran to the tea shoppe, shivering with cold and regretting every step. She burst into the shoppe and let out a relieved sigh, earning her a laugh from several of the near-by customers. "Hey, Iroh," she greeted the old man as she leaned forward on the counter. "Can I get a cup of L-"

"White Dragon," Iroh interrupted. When Katara raised her eyebrows, the old man smirked and continued. "I just got some White Dragon leaves. Tell me that you'll try a cup. It's really good."

"Alright," Katara laughed, "give me a cup of the White Dragon and one large brother please."

"Your brother isn't here," Iroh answered as he turned and began preparing the tea. "He and Zuko left to go to that skating park about five minutes ago." A loud scoff erupted out of Katara and Iroh glanced back over his shoulder. "You...don't like my nephew much, do you?" he asked bluntly.

"Is it that obvious?" Katara rolled her eyes and dropped herself heavily into a chair at the nearest table as Iroh carried over two cups of tea and sat them upon the table.

Iroh merely stared down into his cup and took the seat opposite the young girl. "What has Zuko done to earn your distaste, exactly?" he asked, his tone casual and light. He sipped at his tea and closed his eyes as the flavor washed over him.

He...well he hasn't done anything per se; he's just...well he shouldn't be so around." Katara frowned at the table and mindlessly ran her fingers over the handle of her tea cup. "I don't expect you to understand how I feel."

"That's a good thing, then," Iroh said in his calm tone, "because I don't understand."

The girl's eyes stayed locked on her untouched drink as the silence dragged on. Long after Iroh had finished his tea and Katara's had run stark cold, she stood up and gave the man a sad smile. "I have to find my brother," she said weakly as she dug into her pocket.

"You don't owe anything," Iroh offered. "You didn't even drink it. Such a shame too, the White Dragon is a rare delicacy."

Katara merely nodded before turning and heading back into the cold. She kept her head ducked as she pushed through the streets until reaching the Serpent's Pass Skate Park. Her eyes darted around the busy masses and finally settled on the sight of Jet and Zuko sitting on a bench. She reluctantly hurried up behind the boy's and started to open her mouth, but interest in their words sealed her lips.

"Not everything needs a label, you know?" Zuko was grumbling.

"Nice," Jet muttered sarcastically. "That sounds like a dodgy way of saying that you _aren't_ together. So, that means he's free to see anyone else he wants."

Katara frowned at hearing the two boys talk. She folded her arms over her chest and shook her head, amazed at how they could sit there and talk about her brother as though he were property.

"He doesn't want to see you, if that's what you think." Zuko gave the other boy a smug grin.

"We'll see."

"No, you won't see," Zuko growled, turning fully towards Jet and sticking his finger in the boy's face. "Just stay the hell away from him. All you want from him is..._sex_ anyways, so go find someone else for it."

At this, Katara's face tightened and her heart raced. She wanted to reach out and smack both boy's in the back of the head, but she fought the urge and cleared her throat loudly to let the two know they weren't alone. "Where's my brother?" she asked coldly when they turned to face her. She would definitely be discussing this with the boy later.

* * *

**A Note From the Author: Thanks for reading. I hope this clears up a little of Katara's day. This chapter takes place in the same time frame as the last, just from her point of view, clearly. Leave some thoughts. I'm not really sure how everyone feels about reading Katara. I mean Sokka is the main character, but I'm really aiming for an all inclusive here. Just let me know, enough Katara, too much, not enough? Thanks. :D –Jenna**


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